The Rhythm Of The Heart II: The Search For The Seven Stones
by Angelucie
Summary: Sequel!The true Napoleon has decided to show himself, and with it's the key of his plans: King Cole's crown.A relic that hides a deadly, evil power.Now, Raphael and his friends must go worldwide in order to find and obtain the seven keys,the only thing that can seal away the crown and Napoleon away for good.With new friends and foes, the true battle has begun. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm BACCKK. Sorry for the long wait, guys. I've been behind on typing it up, though I'm making good progress writing it.**

*************IMPORTANT***************

**READ THE RHYTHM OF THE HEART FIRST! YOU WILL BE CONFUSED IF YOU DON'T!**

**So, the true Napoleon has returned! Now, Phantom R must group with his friends to stop his newest plot, to unleash the power of King Cole's crown! On their journey there will be new friends, and new foes! Who will win, who will lose? Only time will tell!**

**Pairings:**

**Phantom R/Raphael X Marie (Obviously)**

**Leo X Charlie**

**Galileo X ?**

**Angel X ?**

**Emily X ?**

**This is two years after The Rhythm of the Heart. Here are the age ranges, oldest to youngest.**

**Emily: 22-24**

**Angel: 21-23**

**Raphael: 17-19**

**Leonardo: 17-19**

**Charlie: 16-18**

**Galileo: 16-18  
Marie: 16-17**

**Oh, and meanings of things.**

**Bold = Intro/ Music **

**Line break = Scene Change**

* * *

_**Italics = Thoughts/Dreams/Flashback**_

**Oh, and everyone will refer to Raphael as either Phantom R or Raphael, depending on costume.**

**Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins.**

**La Santé Prison, France. Maximum security wing. 10:45 AM.**

J.F sat in his cell, smiling insanely. Seven hundred and thirty two marks etched the cell wall, a little over two years.

_Happy anniversary to me. It's been a short two years. Two years to plot my revenge against that blasted Rhythm thief and his friends. I'd miscalculated, but I won't make that mistake again._ _The emperor has taken all precautions to makes sure he rules the new world. I've given them two years to forget about me. Two years to let their guard down. But soon, they'll be at my mercy._ He thought, staring at the marks again.

No jailers passed by his side that much; they had more cantankerous criminals to deal with. He'd convinced them all he was nothing but a humble, ancient shell of his former genius.

An explosion hit the building, multiple sirens going off. Security guards and freed criminals ran, him being forgotten in the chaos.

They thought wrong.

A dark figure walked toward the door, opening it easily. Only one eye showed, and it was a bright gold. The Tiamat symbol shone brightly on his chest, he was silent, standing straight up with a sword strapped to his belt.

"Thank you, emperor. Now, our plan for the new world can begin." J.F said, smiling.

* * *

"Stop, Rhythm Thief!" Vergier yelled, dashing after the red haired thief and his pet. Charlie followed her soccer ball in hand. The Rhythm thief smiled.

"Come on Fondue, let's get out of here!" Phantom R called, slipping into an alley way. The two inspectors followed him, and saw nothing but an empty dead end.

"Great, we lost him!" Charlie said, folding her arms.

"He cannot have gotten far...Rhythm Thief, we shall find you!" Vergier said, walking out of the alleyway with Charlie following.

Phantom R stared at the two from the rooftop, smiling. Fondue sat next to him, wagging his tail.

"Come on Fondue. Let's jazz before they come back." Phantom R said, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He walked inside, Fondue following, up to his small apartment.

"Ralphie! It's so wonderful to see you!" Paula said, smiling at Raphael. Raphael smiled back, adjusting his glasses.

"Nice to see you too, Ms. Paula." He said.

"Oh, Ralphie? A girl came over here earlier, looking for you. You were out, so she told me to give you this note. Very polite, too." Paula said, holding out a sealed letter. Raphael took it, opening it up.

_Dear Phantom R,_

_Long time no see, Champion. Unfortunately, now isn't the time for an introduction. Something very important has come up, and we have little time to explain. Can you meet me at the Le Jules Verne's Restaurant for 3:00?_

_~ Your good friend, Angel_

Raphael folded the letter up and put in his pocket, thinking.

"Thanks for holding on to this, Paula." Raphael said, nodding.

"Treat that girl nicely, Ralphie!" Paula said, waving to a retreating Raphael.

* * *

Phantom R walked into the restaurant, adjusting his hat, and approaching the waitress.

"Hello, I'm looking for Angel, party of two?" Phantom R said.

"Oh, yes! You're R, right?" The waitress asked, looking at a notepad.

"That's me." Phantom R said, nodding.

"Follow me." The waitress walked over to a private booth, where a woman was sitting with her back turned.

"Madame, is this the person you were looking for?" The waitress said, beckoning to Phantom R.

"Yes. Please, provide us with some drinks." The woman said, turning. She wore a white suit, and a white and blue fedora hid her eyes.

Phantom R grabbed himself a seat, and then sat down, smiling.

"Long time no see, Angel." Raphael said, smiling.

A bright white flash illuminated the area for a second, and then Angel appeared in her normal black suit, her blue eyes shining.

"Long time no see, Phantom R. You're not the only one who's a master of disguise Took me a month to get that trick down." Angel said, smiling.

"So, what's the important thing that came up?" Phantom R asked.

Angel's face darkened. "He's finally made his appearance."

Phantom R's eyes widened. "Napoleon?"

Angel nodded. "Yes. A week ago, Jean-Francois was broken out of La Santé Prison. Here's a recording of one of the security cameras during the jail break." She said, holding out a phone.

At first, the prison hallway looked normal. Then, a large explosion shook the building, and dust and debris partially blocked the camera's view. However, a tall figure could be seen walking toward it. The only thing visual was one golden eye, and the glowing sing of Tiamat on his chest. Then, the camera went black.

"So he's broken J.F out of jail...Does this mean he's making his move?" Phantom R asked, sipping his drink.

"He's already made the first move. Two days ago, he broke in to the Louvre and stole the newly arrived artifact, King Cole's crown." Angel said, sipping her drink as well.

"Wait...So that's why Vergier and Charlie have been on my tail...But how do you know it was him?" Phantom R asked.

"Look at this other video." Angel said, holding out her phone again. This time, it showed the Louvre, but the same events occurred. There was an explosion, and all you could see was a golden eye and the Tiamat symbol on his chest.

"So, do you know why Napoleon stole that crown?" Phantom R asked.

"I know some details, but Emily has the full story. It'd be better if she explained it, with everyone else there." Angel said, pulling out a few dollars and laying them on the table, then standing up.

"Come on, Phantom R. Everyone else is waiting on us." Angel said, walking outside.

"Everyone else? Where are they?" Phantom R asked, looking around.

Angel smiled. "Follow me." She then walked down the lane, eventually turning into a wide alley. She took a remote out from her pocket, and pressed a button on it.

A large airship appeared in front of it, sitting silently. It was black, and could be easily hidden in the night.

"Whoa..." Phantom R said, staring at it.

Angel smiled.

"Wait until you see the inside." She then pressed another button, and a platform extended from it, and she walked up it with Phantom R following. It led up to a pure white room, with an elevator in it. Angel pressed a button on the side, and the two walked into the elevator, the doors closing shut behind them.

"Prepare to be amazed." Angel said, before opening the door.

**The World Adventure (Sonic Unleashed)**

"Whoa...This place is amazing." Phantom R said, staring at the airship's inside.

"Welcome to the S. Rider." Angel said, smirking.

The area was well furnished, and in the middle was a large super computer, with a holographic globe sitting over it. Surrounding the super computer were assorted couches and chairs, with assorted friends sitting on them.

"Well. It took you two long enough to arrive." A voice said, from behind the super computer. A woman appeared, her purple hair falling around her shoulders.

"Call it a habit of being fashionably late, Emily." Phantom R said, smiling.

"You'd better lose that habit, Phantom R. If you don't, it will make your eventual capture much easier." Another voice said, this time recognizable Charlie stepped out next to Emily, her arms folded.

"Don't waste your breath, Charlie." A voice said.

"Yeah, the self-proclaimed rhythm king comes and goes as he pleases." Another voice said, slightly higher than the first. Two other figures walked out, both having a symmetrical resemblance to one another.

"Leave it to my own backup dancers, Leonardo and Galileo, to sell me out." Raphael said, smiling.

"Hello, Phantom R. I'm glad that we meet again." A small voice said, sweetly soft. A young girl walked in, holding her violin case tightly.

"Hello, Marie. It's been a while since I've been to one of your concerts." Phantom R said, adjusting his hat.

Marie smiled at him, eyes gleaming.

"I really hate to interrupt this, but we need to act now that we know what the true Napoleon has planned." Emily said, folding her arms.

"Emily, do you know what Napoleon is planning?" Raphael said, leaning back on the couch.

"Napoleon has obtained the King Cole's Crown, a very powerful relic. If Napoleon unlocks its true power, he would be immortal, with the power to cover the world in darkness." Emily said.

"How does something have that kind of power?" Raphael asked.

"Here's the legend of it. There was once a powerful king named Cole, who was peaceful. His kingdom reigned, and everything was good. However, neighboring kingdoms threatened war. So then he had his most trusted advisers forge seven weapons, each made to represent an element. With the power of all seven, he created the Dragon sword. It had the power of all, and no weakness. With it, he vanquished the enemies, and the kingdom prospered. However, with his power, Cole became power hungry, and became an evil dictator, slowly destroying the kingdom.

Soon, the son of the blacksmith who forged the weapons stole them, and with his group of vigilante's, they rebelled against Cole. But he was too powerful, and they sealed him away inside his crown. Knowing the seal wouldn't last forever, they used the weapons as keys, and hid them all over the world." Emily said, serious.

"So, it's a race to see who finds the keys first." Charlie said, folding her arms.

"Indeed. But the world and our lives are at stake." Leo said, folding his arms.

"Wait a second. How could Napoleon become immortal with those weapons? They could vanquish any enemy, but..." Galileo started.

"The weapons have two forms. One is their standard, weapon form. The other is their gem, or stone form. They take the shape of a diamond, and from it one could extract limitless energy from them, but only if they all were together." Emily said, folding her arms.

"Couldn't Napoleon just take them for himself?" Raphael asked.

"Only certain people can remove the item from its altar; the chosen owner of it, or someone that has another item. That's why we need to get those weapons before Napoleon finds an owner of one." Emily said.

"So, now what do we do?" Marie asked.

"You need to gather what you need, such as change of clothes. Also, if you have any relatives or close friends, you should tell them you're leaving for a while." Emily said, walking to the airships cockpit. She tapped a few buttons here and there, sitting down on the pilot's chair.

"Try to be back within the hour. The first key awaits us." Emily said, putting on a headset.

Within forty-five minutes, everyone was back at the airship, each with a luggage bag of some sort. To those who had guardians, (Marie and Charlie) they were saying goodbye to them, and the others were tending to their baggage.

"I will miss you, Marie. Please be careful." Duchess Elizabeth said, smiling at her daughter.

"I will, mother." Marie said, smiling.

Galileo and Leonardo were standing off to the side, talking to each other and looking around the wide room.

Charlie and Vergier were talking at the other side.

"If you need anything, don't forget to call me." Vergier said, folding his arms.

"Dad, I am going to be _fine._" Charlie protested folding her arms.

"I'm just making sure you'll be okay. Also, don't get any ideas with that friend of yours..."

"DAD!" Charlie said, her face flaring. Leo, Galileo, Phantom R, and Marie stared at her, all slightly amused.

Angel walked in, smirking.

"While Emily finds out our coordinates, how about I give you a tour of this place? It'll be your home for a while, so it's best to get you used to it. "She said, pointing to another doorway and walking toward it.

She nodded at Elizabeth and Vergier. "Emily would like to chat with you two. She's down the hall."

* * *

"Here's the kitchen. Most of the food is kept here, along with the cooking bots." Angel said, pointing at a levitating robot with green eyes. It eyed the team, cocking its head toward them.

"So, the majority of this place is run on technology?" Leo asked, staring at the robot.

"Since it's a two woman crew, than yes. If there were more people, than it wouldn't rely so heavily on machinery." Angel said, staring out the observatory window.

"Wait. This entire place is for the two of you?" Galileo said, surprised.

"Ha! If you this is big, then you should see the aerial academy." Angel said, smiling. "It's a beauty, it is."

"Knowing J.F, shouldn't you worry about him hacking into the system and overriding it?" Charlie asked.

"Of course. That's why the only way to access any of the technology on here is in the super computer, and J.F would have to get on the ship in order to do anything to the tech here. Plus, he'd have to go through the words toughest security system." Angel said, tapping one of the green eyed robots.

"How may I serve you, madam?" The robot asked, eyes gleaming. Its voice was distinguished, something that sounded like a regal butler.

"One glass of water, please." Angel asked. The robot nodded, and pulled a glass from a cabinet, filling it with crystal clear water.

"Go one. Green cooking bots can create any food...Within reason, anyway. Green is a cooking and/or healing robot, Blue is cleaning robot, and red is attack robot. Don't forget that." Angel said, sipping her water.

Phantom R put his finger on his chin, and smiled. He then walked up to the robot, tapping it.

"Can you make some cheese fondue?" Raphael asked. The robot nodded, then ran to the refrigerator. It then picked up some cheese, and put it inside its small screen. The screen lit up, and then it handed a bowl of warm cheese fondue to Phantom R. He then gave it to Fondue, who lapped it up.

"Phantom, you are ridiculous." Charlie said, rolling her eyes. Marie started to laugh, and Leo and Galileo smiled.

Angel's watch started to glow, and she looked at it.

"We'll be going airborne in a few minutes. Why don't you guys pack your stuff in your rooms, and head to the living room to catch up on old times?" Angel asked.

Everyone else nodded, and Angel smiled.

"Ok, then. I'll be waiting." Angel said, walking toward the door.

* * *

The five walked toward their rooms, each holding their luggage. Ten rooms lined the hall, two of them taken by the signs on their doors.

"Soo...Who stays where?" Leo asked, staring at the other four.

"I don't mind which room. Let's just look around." Raphael said, opening the door.

After exploring each room, the group was surprised at each room matching their respected interests. Raphael's room was red and dark blue, with matching sheets and a dog bed and bowl. Marie's room was light blue and white, with a wide window and music stand. Charlie's room was different shades of green, with a soccer ball and glider resting in the corner. The Donatello's bedrooms looked the same, except Leo's bed sheets were green, and Galileo's bed sheets were blue.

"Angel really outdid herself with these, didn't she?" Galileo said, looking at the rooms.

"We really need to thank Angel and Emily for this." Marie said, smiling.

"Before that, do you want to look around, Marie? It's been a long time, and we should know our way around..." Phantom R started.

Marie nodded, then grabbed Phantom R's hand and walked down a hallway.

Leonardo turned to Charlie, a smile on his half-hidden face.

"Hey, Charlie." He said, staring at her. Charlie stared back, her eyes barely making out Leo's hidden ones.

"Hello, Leonardo." Charlie said, trying to find Leo's eyes. Even though his voice couldn't tell his feelings, one look in his eyes could.

"Would you like to talk somewhere?" Leo asked, putting his arms behind his back.

Charlie nodded. "Let's go, then."

The two walked down a separate hallway, leaving a silent Galileo behind, who sighed.

_I know those two haven't seen each other in a while...But I really wish I had someone to chat with. Someone unique. Someone who's not afraid to do what she thinks. Someone who could make me feel a bit more confident..._

Galileo sighed, and then walked toward the living room. Hopefully Angel would be up to chat. Even though she was much older, she was nice.

* * *

"To think you could spend your entire life up here, without a care in the world...It's amazing." Marie said, smiling.

"Who would have thought it's been two years since we met at that festival..." Phantom R said, smiling.

"Wouerf!" Fondue said, ears perking up.

"I didn't forget you, Fondue." Phantom R said, smiling and petting his dog.

"All the fun we had...I'm really glad that we met. If we didn't, I never would have met my mother." Marie said, smiling.

"If I never met you, I never would have gotten any closer to finding my father, or met all my new friends." Phantom R said, smiling.

Marie started to laugh, her face brightening.

_She looks so happy when she laughs...I wonder if she feels the same way I do... _Phantom R thought, looking at her smiling face.

"You're a really good friend, Phantom R. I'm glad we could be together." Marie said, smiling at him.

_He really is one of the best friends I could have...But is there something more than friendship between us? _Marie thought, staring at the red haired youth before her.

* * *

Leo and Charlie walked side by side, each thinking their own thoughts.

_I still remember the day we first met...and that kiss. The kiss that changed both of us..._

Charlie thought, looking over at Leo.

_I wonder what she's thinking... _Leo thought, staring at her. _It's been a really long time since we last met..._

_"_So, what do you think about this Napoleon business?" Charlie asked, looking at Leo.

He shuddered. "With J.F out of jail, I'm nervous already. What's worse is that we have no idea what Napoleon is like... He almost conquered a continent in older times. With this new technology and an undead army... Heaven knows what he could do, especially if the legend of that crown is true." He finished, looking out a nearby window.

Charlie nodded.

"J.F is deadly, intelligent, and from what I can see is good with technology. With Napoleon's strategy and J.F's tech...I wouldn't want to go against them. Especially since it was my father who put him in jail..."

"Don't worry about J.F coming after you. Besides, it was Angel that knocked him out." Leo said, smiling.

Charlie smiled back, and then sighed. "It still doesn't make me feel any better...After he almost killed us and all..."

Leo patted her shoulder, and then whispered something into her ear.

"As long as I live...I promise not to let him hurt you." He said, smiling at her.

Charlie hugged him tightly, and he kissed her forehead.

"Want to explore here? If anything happens, we wouldn't want to get lost..." Leo started, looking around the airship.

"I'd love to." Charlie said, beaming at him.

* * *

Galileo wandered around the airship, slowly memorizing his surroundings He ran into a few bots on the way, and they stared at him before going back to their duties.

"So, I guess Leo went with Charlie?" Angel asked, walking in from a different hallway.

Galileo sighed. "You guessed it."

Angel smiled. "Don't feel bad. Your brother still cares about you. He's just in love, that's all. True Love is a beautiful thing, but it only works with the right person. You never know when you'll meet them, though. Could be today, could be a month from today..." Angel said, staring out the window.

"What is true love, then?" Galileo asked, staring at her.

Angel shrugged. "I've read about it, I've seen it...But I've never experienced it."

"Do you know what that person is like?" Galileo asked.

"They could be total opposites, or exactly alike. You never know." Angel replied, walking toward the fridge. "Would you like something to drink?" Angel asked, pulling out a bottle of soda.

"Sure. Angel... who's the man of your dreams?" Galileo asked.

"Secret for a secret. I tell you my dream partner, you tell me yours." Angel said, smirking.

Galileo thought for a moment. "Okay, then."

"Don't tell anyone, okay? The man I'd want to marry...Would be someone who could make me laugh. Someone kind and someone who'd care deeply about me." Angel said, sighing. "Your turn, Galileo."

"The type of girl I'd want...Would be someone sweet and confident. Someone who could make me feel more confident about me..." Galileo said.

Angel smiled, until her watch lit up.

"Looks like we're going to leave for our first destination. Let's go get the others, then." Angel said, standing up.

* * *

"So, where's our first destination?" Raphael asked.

"Venice, Italy. Thanks to some museum and cargo information, the key is located somewhere in the northern part of that area. We'll have to go on foot." Emily said, standing next to Vergier and Elizabeth.

"Ok, then. When do we leave?" Charlie asked.

"In five minutes." Emily said, tapping in more controls.

"I guess it's time to go..." Vergier said, sighing.

Charlie nodded at him, arms folded.

"Charlotte, please be careful." Vergier said, ruffling his daughter's hair.

"You!" He then turned, pointing at Leonardo.

"Make sure to take the VERY best care of my daughter! Do you understand me?"

Leo nodded, smiling. "I'll give her a queen's treatment." He said, adjusting his hat.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the airship, Elizabeth was saying goodbye to Marie.

"Marie, please be careful." Elizabeth said, combing Marie's hair.

"I will, mother." Marie said, smiling.

Phantom R smiled at Marie from the other side of the room. Even though Elizabeth seemed a bit cold on the outside, he knew it was only in Marie's best interest. His father, on the other hand...

Raphael sighed. No use of thinking of that now. His father was out there, but he would have to wait.

"Au revoir, Marie. It is time for me to make my leave." Elizabeth said, smiling.

"As do I." Vergier said, nodding. "Someone has to keep the streets of Paris safe."

Angel walked in after them, with everyone else following.

"Don't worry too much. Hopefully this I'll be over before we know it..." Emily said, eyeing her sword.

"Where's the fun in that?" Angel asked, smirking.

"Anyway, we're about to get into the air. It's time to say goodbye." Emily said, walking toward the elevator.

"Be careful, Charlie!" Vergier called, waving to her.

There was a sound of an engine heating up, and then the airship slowly rose into the air.

"Feel free to go to the observatory deck. It has the best view." Angel said, pointing at the wide window.

Everybody ran over, staring at the streets of Paris below them.

"I hope you enjoy the view. Because we'll be in the air for quite a while." Angel said, staring outside as France flourished under them.

* * *

"Emperor, our foes have decided to go after the first key. They are on their way to Venice as we speak." A man said, bowing before the one in front of him.

"Do not worry. We already have the key's location, but we have trouble obtaining it." J.F said his eye narrowing.

The man was silent, the golden eye narrowing.

"But do not worry, Emperor. We've recruited some new people to our cause….and with their combined power; soon Cole's crown will be yours. And…We will have our revenge on that Rhythm thief and his friends.

**END CHAPTER 1**

**Sorry If I did the intro/ dialogue for too long. This is the beginning, and I want all the characters to get reacquainted before the adventure starts.**

**How'd you guys like the first chapter? Read and Review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Violinist In Venice, Part 1

**A/N: Wow, this story is getting popular already! I'm going to make the chapters longer than usual, so you might have to wait a bit longer. **

**IMPORATANT: At the end of each chapter, I will post a sneak peek of the next! So don't forget to check that!**

** Now, for the replies:**

**Justrockzyxxx: THANKS! Yay, you loved it! :D **

**Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye: THANKS! Yay, more people love it!**

**ghost83: THANKS! It kind of does tie with the actual storyline, as in the ending when we see Isaac and Napoleon. But not much.**

**StrikerDaisy: THANKS! Yes, love is in the air…Along with death, betrayal, and sadness, but mainly love!**

**CHAPTER 2: A Violinist in Venice, Part 1.**

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Phantom R asked.

"Like Emily said earlier, the first key is somewhere in northern Italy. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the exact location, so we'll have to go on foot." Angel said, looking out the window.

"I've always wanted to see a place other than France. To get a chance to see the world with my closest friends..." Marie said, sighing.

"Well, we'd better split up to cover more ground. Marie, Raphael, Galileo, and I can search the northern half, while Emily, Leo, and Charlie search the southern half. Will that work?" Angel asked, stretching.

"Yeah, that'll work." Phantom R said, adjusting his hat. "It's might be wiser for me to change costume, though..." He trailed off, and then snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light, and then Raphael appeared in Phantom R's place.

"You do realize that I now know your identity, and I could arrest you?" Charlie said, folding her arms.

"You wouldn't arrest me, Charlie. You love me too much." Raphael said, grinning.

Charlie turned a bright red, and everyone else started laughing.

"Come on, guys. Let's get that key BEFORE any chevalier's appear." Angel said, walking outside.

* * *

Marie looked around in awe at the city around her. It was around noon to evening time, and the city was still crowded with people and tourists. The sun lazily reflected of the water, its race giving the place a warm feeling.

"Welcome to Venice, Italy. Beautiful this time of year." Angel said, smiling.

"So, where do we go first? Raphael asked, looking around.

"Well, since we don't know where to look, how about some sightseeing?" Angel asked, scratching her hair. "The first key could be anywhere, and it'd best to search in the most obvious places first. Then we can go from there."

Everyone else nodded, and then started off. After some sightseeing, they arrived at the heart of the city.

"Wow! It's amazing here. To think all these people could fit here..." Galileo said, looking around.

"Want to get something to eat? My treat." Angel said, walking over to a less crowded shop, which the group entered.

The place was small but quaint, with a few couches here and there. The walls were illustrated with music notes, and violins. A young brown-haired teen sat near the fountain, playing violin.

"What a nice place. Why is it so...deserted?" Marie asked the brown haired teen, who looked at her.

The door then opened, the door bell ringing ominously. A black haired man walked in, with two men behind him. A large scar was on his face.

"Well, has it been a week yet, Vince?" One of the men asked, tapping their leader. The leader nodded, good eye narrowing.

"You heard Bruce. Now, where's our protection money?" He asked, cracking his knuckles.

The brown haired violinist faltered. "Well, business has been slow lately..." He said, sweating.

Vince swore, angry. "I don't care if this place is more deserted then the Sahara, we want our protection money. You know what happens if we don't..." He threw a table down, and slowly approached the brown haired boy.

"Hey! Back off, if you know what's good for you." Angel said, cracking her knuckles.

"Don't get involved, princess. Wouldn't want to wreck your pretty little face." Bruce said, grinning.

Angel smirked, and cracked her neck from side to side.

"Better stand back. This could get rough." Angel said, nodding to the group and the violinist. They obeyed, stepping a good distance away.

The unnamed brute ran at her first, but didn't anticipate too much. Angel smirked, grabbing his arm, twisting it backward, flipping him, and sending him to the ground. Vince frowned, and nodded at Bruce.

The two were at a standstill, each trying to anticipate the other's moves. Bruce struck first, almost catching Angel off guard.

Heavy emphasis on _almost._

"Too slow!" Angel taunted, tripping him up. Before he could rise, Angel had already gotten some distance between herself and him.

"Well? Royalty can't wait." Angel said, smirking.

Vince nodded at the other two goons, and they fled the scene, the door slamming shut.

"Sorry if I caused any damage. What's your name?" Angel said, smiling at the violinist.

"Feli. Thank you so very much! Those goons have been bothering our place for months now..."

"Well, they'll think twice about that while Angel is around." Raphael said, smiling.

"Thank you, Angel. I am forever in your debt!" Feli said, smiling.

"Call me Ace." Angel said, smiling.

"How about a free meal? It's the least I can do to repay you..." Feli said, tuning his violin.

"Sure." Angel replied, sitting down.

"So, who were those guys, anyway?" Angel asked, slightly worried.

"The Blue Vipers. They're the local gang here." Feli said, sighing. "Every week they come here, looking for protection money. But this restaurant barely keeps itself going." Feli said, sighing.

"But the food was delicious! How is this place not popular?" Galileo asked.

"The Blue Vipers, for one thing. Everyone stays clear of them. That and our competition." Feli said, pointing at the bright and popular restaurant across the street.

"The painted lady? Their food tastes terrible." Angel said, sticking out her tongue.

"Yes, but their owner is a good pal of Vince, the leader of the Blue Vipers. That and it's in a lot better shape...That's why I'm entering the violinist competition."

"What competition?" Marie asked, interested.

"The arts and music museum down the road is having a violinist competition. Not only does the winner get a thousand euros, but they also get this weird green key." Feli said, sipping a soda.

"What does this green key look like, anyway?" Angel asked, interested.

"Here's a poster." Feli said, handing it to Angel. Angel stared at it, and then tapped into her watch quickly.

"Em, get over to where I am ASAP. I think we've found our first key."

"Yep. That's the grass key. How much do you want to bet Napoleon's seen this too?" Emily said, stuffing the sheet in her pocket.

"Nothing, since I like my wallet not empty. So, how are we going to get that key?" Angel asked, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Simple. Since most of the music is new to Marie, I decided to make a deal. Both Marie and Feli enter the contest, each helping the other. Feli knows the music better than Marie, and Marie can help bring some customers to boost the restaurant's popularity. The son of Painted Lady's owner, César, is also entering the competition. If we can beat him, it will definitely get us some attention." Emily said, arms folded.

"Also, I can keep any of those Blue Vipers that come around here at bay." Angel said, smirking.

"So, do we have a deal? If either of us wins, you can get the money, and we'll get the key." Emily finished.

"I would say yes... But I'd need to talk to my Grandpa first. After all, he is the owner of this place. Would you like to meet him?" Feli asked, beckoning to the group to the back.

* * *

An older man was sitting in the kitchen, stirring some sauce and singing to himself. Feli tapped his back, waiting.

"Hello, grandson. Have we had more customers yet?" The man asked, turning.

"Actually, this young lady helped chase the Blue Vipers away..." Feli said, beckoning to Angel.

The older man stared at Angel smiling.

"You've got spunk, lady. I like that." He said, shaking her hand. "My name is Roma. And your name is?"

"Ace. My sister would like to ask you a question." She said, beckoning to Emily.

"Ciao. My name is Emily. I have a favor to ask, one that could boost your restaurant's popularity and get rid of its competition at the same time." Emily said, starting to explain everything.

"So if my Feli helps your Marie win the competition...I will get the money and the popularity, and all you want is a key?" Roma asked.

"Yes. It is important to our line of work." Emily said, sitting up.

"Seems a bit odd... But I agree. Feli, get your violin. The competition is in three days, and if we want to win we'll need all the practice we can get." Roma said, standing up. Feli nodded to Marie, and the two went outside, to practice.

"This first piece is easy to learn, if you've played violin long enough. Now, how long have you played violin for, anyway?" Feli asked, tuning his.

"Ever since I could carry one." Marie said nodding.

Feli smiled. "Then we shall be good friends. Now, let's practice. _Uno, due, tre, avviare!" _(One, two, three, start!)

* * *

Raphael looked over at the two and sighed. They'd been practicing for the better half of two hours, and he'd wanted to take out Marie to see the sights.

Just then Marie walked up behind him, smiling.

"So, how did it go?" Raphael asked, sitting up.

"Fine. If we both keep it up, we should win that competition easily." Marie said, smiling.

"So...Would you like to go with me to see the sights of Italy?" Raphael asked.

"Actually...Feli asked me first...But you can come with us if you want." Marie said, smiling.

Raphael smiled, inwardly sighing. "Sure, I'll come with you guys." Marie then walked off to chat with Feli, and Raphael just sighed.

"He beat you to the cake, didn't he?" Angel asked, sitting next to Raphael.

"It's just that I wanted to take Marie out, just the two of us." Raphael said, sighing.

"Make new friends, keep the old. Besides, we need him if either of them are going to win the competition, and the key." Angel said, standing up.

"Later, R. I'm heading out with Charlie, Galileo, and Leo." She said, heading on the elevator.

"Bye, Angel." Raphael said, walking toward Feli and Marie.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Raphael asked.

"You can decide. There are boat rides, amusement parks..."

* * *

Somewhere not that far away, J.F was plotting. The man with the golden eye and tattoo sat next to him, silent.

"Emperor, we have located the first key and the book... We may have a problem obtaining them, though." J.F said, nervous. "But with the help of our painter, Isaac, we can change that. At the nearby carnival, the book is at a remote book stall, and the girl is there as well." He finished, smirking.

Isaac walked up behind him, silent.

"Isaac, take your group new and improved chevalier's to the carnival. Let's see how much that Phantom and his group like their surprise, courtesy of us. Get the book at all costs." J.F said, smiling evilly.

* * *

"Thanks for showing us this carnival, Feli. There're so many fun things to do here." Marie said, smiling.

"It's no problem, Marie. I always come here after a long day. It makes all your worries go away, yes?" Feli asked.

Marie smiled at him, and he smiled back. Raphael sighed, not sure if he had been noticed for the last half hour the two were talking.

_I know I shouldn't be jealous...But when Marie's with him, it's like I'm not even there... _Raphael thought looking at the two laughing.

His bracelet flashed brightly, and Raphael looked at it.

_Wait a minute...The last time this glowed, it was when me and Napoleon were fighting...Could he be here? _Raphael thought, looking around, worried.

A few screams attracted everyone's attention. Some chevalier's had started to attack tourists, obviously searching for something.

"Uh-oh. Hang back, Marie, it's time to kick some devil knights!" A flash surrounded Raphael, and Phantom R appeared in his place.

"Phantom, we have trouble! Chevalier's at twelve 'o clock!" Charlie yelled, kicking one off with her soccer ball.

"No kidding. Feli, Marie, get out of here. I'll bet it's Marie those guys are after." Phantom R said, running off to follow Charlie.

* * *

"Back off!" Angel yelled, firing three arrows at once. Phantom R and Charlie ran up to her, eyes worried.

"These guys are tougher than usual! Help me out, guys!" Angel called, running ahead. Emily, Leo, and Galileo were nowhere in sight.

A little way farther, said three were in the middle of a mass melee. Emily's sword wasn't visible; all there was a flash of steel and black dust.

"Em, be careful!" Angel yelled, throwing a dagger at a chevalier approaching from behind. It caught the chevalier in the chest, but it still stood. Emily turned and slashed it, and it faded into nothing but dust.

"What are these things after?!" Leo yelled, crushing one into dust.

"I think I can guess. Phantom R, go after Marie and Feli!" Angel yelled, sniping

* * *

Feli and Marie were running through the crowds, trying to escape the chevalier's. The crowd was large, but chevalier's were tearing through, searching for something.

"There she is! Get her at all costs!" A chevalier yelled, pointing at Marie. The rest stared at the two, and then charged forward.

"Run for it!" Feli said, grabbing Marie's hand and sprinting. Phantom R ran up, kicking away any chevalier's that got close.

"We need to get rid of these guys! Feli, Marie, get back to the shop!" Phantom R yelled, the chevalier's gaining.

Isaac stared at the group from above, silent. He eyed the Ferris wheel silently then, a sphere of black flowed from his hands, creating a scythe. He then threw it, cutting the Ferris wheel off its hinges, and on a deadly crash course.

Marie tripped, landing straight in front of the Ferris wheel.

"Marie, grab my hand!" Feli yelled, pulling her out harm's way, and she hugged him tightly.

"I was so scared!" Marie said, crying into Feli's arms.

"Don't worry, you're safe now. Just relax..." Feli said, hugging her.

* * *

"Why! Won't! These! Things! DIE?!" Charlie said, kicking the same chevalier for the umpteenth time.

"They're obviously after something. Question is what?" Leo said, punching another chevalier into dust.

"Get the book! Get the book!" One chevalier yelled, before getting and arrow to the knee. (Courtesy of Angel.)

"What book are they talking about?" Angel asked, taking out a grenade, and yanking the pin out, tossing it a good distance away.

Emily was caught in a sword standoff with a chevalier's claws, and chopped it in half. She backed up, taking another sword in her left hand, before stumbling on something.

"What do we have here?" Emily picked up the book, the mark of Tiamat stamped on its cover, with nine symbols:

A green leaf, a yellow lightning bolt, a white wind gust, a red flame, a light blue fire, a dark blue water drop, a pink heart, and an orange sword. In the center of it was a great golden sword.

Emily opened the book, reading the first lines.

_When the world is destined to be as black as night,_

_Ten heroes will rise to the fight._

_A violinist whose mother used to be unknown,_

_A detective with powers yet to be shown,_

_A fighter with a heart of stone._

_An archer with a heart of gold,_

_A gymnast with a story yet to be told,_

_A swordswoman whose feelings are hidden in cold,_

_A swordsman with a past filled with tears,_

_And his ally, who hides well his fears,_

_A psychic with power sealed for thousands of years._

_Last, the leader of them all,_

_With the dragon's power, all evil will fall._

A bright glow shot from the sky, surrounding Angel, Emily, Charlie, Leo, Galileo, Phantom R, and Marie. And somewhere far away, three others were surrounded in the sacred light.

_The hero's identities have now been revealed._

_But when all else fails, the virtues summon the shield._

Emily turned to the next page, on it a faded map.

"Everyone, back to the airship! I think we found something very crucial to our quest." Emily said, putting the book under her arm and dashing away.

* * *

**END CHAPTER 2**

**Sneak peek of Chapter Three!**

* * *

_**"I did it! I'm made the qualifier!" Marie said, hugging Feli.**_

_**"I told you you'd make it." Feli said, smiling at her.**_

_**"But I never could have done it without you, Feli. I really owe you one." Marie said, smiling at him.**_

_**Jealousy is a bad thing, but I'd like to be remembered once in a while. Raphael thought, frowning. **_

_**"Well, there is this one thing...How about dinner tonight, you and me?" Feli asked.**_

_**Wait a second, WHAT? Raphael thought, surprised,**_

* * *

**Don't forget to read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Violinist In Venice, Part 2

**A/N: Sorry the long update time. I might not update as much due to school and stuff, but the maximum waiting time will be two weeks. Now, for the reviews:**

**Justrockzyxxx: THANKS! Also, did you make your OC yet?**

**WHOOPGIRL: THANKS! Here's the update, as promised.**

**StrikerDaisy: THANKS! Love triangles make everything interesting…**

**Hollysong: THANKS! :D**

**CHAPTER 3: A Violinist in Venice, Part 2**.

"Em, what did you find?" Angel asked, reclining on the couch.

"The map. The map that leads to the seven weapons." Emily said, pointing to it. A green glowing dot was over the capital of Italy, Venice.

"So that's why the chevalier's were after this thing so badly. It's the only way to locate the weapons." Charlie said, arms folded.

"Right. So we can get all the weapons, easy, right?" Galileo asked.

"Yes and no. The weapons must be collected in the sacred altar, and only the chosen ones can remove it from its sacred pedestal in its temple." Emily said, arms folded.

"So, there are ten chosen ones in all, and all seven of us were chosen. Who are the other three?" Leo asked.

"Heaven knows. They could be anywhere, anyone. Also, Napoleon will no doubt try to recruit them before we do, as he needs them to remove the items." Emily said, reading through the book.

"Are you sure there are no hints?" Marie asked, looking over Emily's shoulder.

"Well, it has the original legend and the weapons, but it doesn't give us that much information. With every weapon we obtain, a section if the book is with it." Emily said, panning through the pages.

"If there are seven weapons..." Leo started.

"The dragon sword makes eight." Angel said.

"Eight weapons, but ten heroes? Which goes to whom, then?" Leo asked.

"_Seven items in sacred harmony,_

_Each relate to the user partially." _Emily read, turning some other pages.

"That still doesn't answer the question." Leo said, arms folded.

"Not every question has an answer...But this might suffice." Emily said, reading.

"_Seven elements are what the weapons are formed,_

_Grass, Fire, Water, Ice, Wind, Earth, and the Storm._

_The dragon's sword and shield are the master of all,_

_And can cause almost any enemy to fall._

_But even those who don't have power of the main elements,_

_They still have the sacred essence."_

"That still doesn't help us much." Charlie said, adjusting her hat.

"Wrong. Without this map, Napoleon will have no clue where the keys or temples are, which gives us an amazing advantage." Emily said, closing the book tightly.

Angel yawned. "We should get some sleep, though. Marie needs to rest up for the qualifier tomorrow afternoon, and I think it would be better to fight chevalier's well rested than half asleep. Later, guys." With that, Angel left to her room to go to bed.

"She's right. Goodnight, everyone." Marie said, picking up her violin case, and heading to her room along with everyone else.

* * *

The next day, Feli, Marie, and Raphael were at the tryouts, waiting for Marie to get called. Feli had already made it into the qualifier, and was encouraging Marie.

"I'm really nervous about the qualifier, Feli. What if I don't get in?" Marie said, worried.

"Don't worry, Marie. You've done much better than me, and I get in with flying colors. I'm sure you'll do great." Feli said, smiling at her.

"Yeah. You're going to do outstanding, Marie." Raphael said, sighing again.

"Number 54?" A judge asked, beckoning to Marie. Marie smiled at the two, and then walked into the tent. She walked out a few minutes, eyes bright.

"I did it! I'm made the qualifier!" Marie said, hugging Feli.

"I told you you'd make it." Feli said, smiling at her.

"But I never could have done it without you, Feli. I really owe you one." Marie said, smiling at him.

_Jealousy is a bad thing, but I'd like to be remembered once in a while. _Raphael thought, frowning.

"Well, there is this one thing...How about dinner tonight, you and me?" Feli asked.

_Wait a second, WHAT? _Raphael thought, silent in shock.

"I'd love to." Marie said, taking Feli's hand and leaving alone a rejected Raphael behind.

"Come on, Marie. I'm going to show you the best place in Venice...The one's you don't see in tourist sights." Feli said, smiling at her.

Raphael stared in silence, brown eyes full of regret.

In the distance, someone watched Marie and Feli leave, silently staring. They then took out a cell phone, calling someone.

"Jean-Francois? It's Isaac. Everything is going according to your plan."

* * *

Raphael sat in Roma's restaurant, sighing. Roma was singing softly to himself, stirring something in a steaming pot. Emily was typing in to her laptop, and Galileo was eating some pasta.

"Raphael, you seem a little quieter than usual, no?" Roma asked, putting down a hot bowl of pasta in front of Raphael.

"I'm just..." Raphael sighed, looking down.

"Feli asked Marie out on a date, and Raphael's had a crush on her for years." Galileo said, turning away when Raphael looked at him.

Roma sighed. "Leave it to my grandson to be like that. He has a good heart, but can be oblivious to other's feelings." He then started to wipe the counter. "But, if you do have a crush on this girl, why do you not tell her your feelings?" He asked.

"Well, I'm worried. What if she doesn't like me, and thinks I'm joking?" Raphael asked.

"Un uomo non può giardino senza fiori, o vivere senza amore." Roma said, sitting next to Raphael.

"Um..." Raphael started, confused.

"A man can't garden without flowers, or live without love." Emily translated, not looking up. Galileo and Raphael stared at her, confused.

"In S.P.I.A it's mandatory to be fluent in at least four languages, including English, French, and Spanish." She explained.

"A woman follows the same rules as well." Roma said, sighing.

Emily gave him the _I know what you're thinking so stop thinking that _look.

"A man can dream, can he not?" Roma said, smirking.

"Emily, what's taking Angel, Charlie, and Leo so long to get back?" Galileo asked.

"They took the airship and went around to Napoli to see about the Blue Viper gang. If we can find enough evidence, we can link Cesare to them and lock him up for good." Emily finished, shutting her laptop shut.

* * *

"Ok, we're going into Napoli, Italy. One of the most dangerous places in the world, and probably the most mafia active city in this country." Angel started, staring at the city in front of them.

"Wait. This is the most mafia active city in the world...So, you, a secret agent, and Charlie, a detective, are going here?" Leo asked, staring at the two.

"Well, it's always a good idea to know your enemy." Charlie said.

"That, and I have some friends that have helped me out. Just try not to attract attention. I wouldn't put it past J.F to use the mafia to his advantage." Angel said, walking into the dark city to a nearby bar.

The place wasn't crowded, but it wasn't deserted either. Shady characters sat in corners, eyes narrowed into slits. The place was cramped, and only one lone bartender was at the bar, cleaning an empty glass.

Angel simply walked up, sitting down on a rickety seat. She nodded at Leo and Charlie, who followed suite.

"What's on the menu, then?" Angel asked.

"It's right behind me, unless you're blind." The bartender replied.

"Not that menu. Cerco Romano Vargas. È qui?" Angel asked, frowning.

"Oh. Down the stairs, third door to your left." The bartender said, pointing down a hallway. Angel nodded, and beckoned for Charlie and Leo to follow her. The three walked down the hallway, and Angel opened the door.

The room was rotting its seams, the paint peeling. The only furniture was some chairs, and a small table.

A brown haired youth had his back turned to them, a cigar sticking out of his mouth. He stared at the window, silent.

"You." The youth said, his back still turned to the three.

"You." Angel replied, sitting on a stool, her arms folded. She nodded at Leo and Charlie to sit down as well.

"What are you doing here? I know quite a few people that want you strung from the highest tree, and Emily will do _worse _to me if that happens." The youth said, still not looking at the three.

"Well, that would be fun to watch." Angel said, smirking.

The youth sighed. "What do you want?"

"I need some information. Ever heard of Cesare, whose father owns the painted lady restaurant in Venice?" Angel asked.

"Yes, I've heard of him. Also one of the friends of the Blue Vipers, one of the deadliest gangs in _Italy!_"

"Does the leader of them happen to be named Vince?" Angel asked.

"I figured it was you that knocked that guy around. You were always the headstrong one. Always going into the fight without a care of who you were fighting." The youth said, turning toward the three.

He wore a large vest, and his eyes were hidden behind some colored glasses. Dark brown hair was combed down, and a cigar stuck out from the corner of his mouth.

"Long time no see, Ro." Angel said, hugging the older youth, who rolled his eyes.

"I really, _really _don't like it when you do that." Ro said, eyes narrowing.

"Why?" Angel asked eyes innocent.

"It means I'm going to get dragged in to one of your crazy adventures..._Again._" Ro said, eyes narrowing.

"Don't act as if that last adventure wasn't fun."

"_Sure. Getting shot at from two hundred feet in the air was TOTALLY fun." _Ro said, waving his arms in the air.

"Okay. But that part with the panda's..." Angel started.

"NEVER speak of that again." Ro said, turning away.

"Thanks for the help, Ro. These two and I need to head back before Emily starts looking for us." Angel said, smiling.

"And I'm going to escort you before you end up into anymore trouble." Ro said, following the three.

"Come on, guys." Angel said, but a loud _bam! _Was heard from upstairs.

* * *

Feli and Marie walked through the bustling Italian city. The two laughed over life stories, and enjoyed the scenery.

"This was a wonderful idea, Feli." Marie said, smiling at him. Her hand entwined tightly with his, her face turning a rosy red.

"Well, if it isn't the grandson of the owner of that a-stupid restaurant." A taunting voice said.

Feli's smile instantly turned into a frown. "Hello, Cesare." He said, annoyed.

A silver haired youth with pale blue eyes was standing with a group of shady characters, and he was walking toward the two.

"So, the street rat has a mouse with him." Cesare said, smirking. In his hand he held a violin.

"Any mouse can play better than you, Cesare. Especially this one." Feli replied, folding his arms.

"We'll see about that. When I win the competition, your grandpa's restaurant will be its grave! "Cesare said, smirking.

"Come on, Marie. Let's go get some QUALITY food, at my place." Feli said, taking her hand.

* * *

Raphael stared outside the window, deep in thought.

_To think I would be destined to save the world...Why me? Was it just a chance Marie ran into me? Or did she run to me on purpose? _Raphael thought, silent.

"Something on your mind?" Emily asked, standing next to him.

"What is my destiny?" Raphael asked.

"Depends on the way you look at it. Some say destiny is out of reach, and depends on luck; others say you are your destiny." Emily said, sitting down.

"If destiny is in my control...Does that mean I can just throw away the dragon sword, and leave all of this behind? Live a normal life?" Raphael asked.

"Can you?" Emily asked, looking at him. "Can you throw that all away, and leave us? Marie, the Donatello's...Can you?"

"No...I can't just let Napoleon and J.F shroud the world in darkness..." He sighed. "I'm such a hypocrite. I can save a country, but I can't tell Marie my feelings..."

Emily smiled. "Here's an idea. Why don't you try to help Marie out more often? She's a bit shy, but I'm sure once you spend enough time with her, talking to her will be easy."

Raphael thought for a second, and then smiled.

"Thanks, Emily."

"It's nothing." She replied, opening her laptop again.

* * *

"This is one of the main reasons why I hate you." Ro said, glaring at Angel.

She ignored him, drawing her bow and a dagger.

"Leo, Charlie, stay here with Ro. I'm going to check this out." She said, starting to walk up the stairs, but Ro grabbed her arm.

"Oh, no you don't. You're not going to get yourself slau-"

"Where are they? J.F said they'd be here." A familiar voice said from upstairs.

"It's the guy from yesterday!" Charlie said, eyes widening.

"They have to be here somewhere. We just need to find 'em and keep 'em under lock 'en key. Then we can unleash our special _surprise _at the violin competition tomorrow." Another familiar voice said.

"That's the other guy from yesterday!" Leo said.

"It seems our pals from yesterday have decided to team up with J.F, and know of the keys location as well. We need to warn everyone else about this 'surprise', whatever it may be." Angel said.

"Come on. It's time to check downstairs." Vince said, starting to walk down the stairs.

"You guys go out that window. I'm going to cause a distraction." Ro said, drawing a knife.

"Oh, no you don't. If you get yourself killed-" Angel started.

"Go!" Ro insisted, and Angel kicked the window open, and fled into the night with Leo and Charlie following.

"So, do we still have Marie go to the competition?" Angel asked, after explaining everything that happened to Raphael, Marie, Feli, Galileo, and Roma.

"We'll have to. Unless you want Napoleon to take over the world." Emily said, eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry, Marie. We'll be in the crowd if there's any problem." Angel said, patting Marie's back.

"Everyone, get well rested for tomorrow. We're going to need it if we want to win the competition." Emily ordered.

**END CHAPTER 3**

**Also: Thank all of you who submitted your OC's! Here's the sneak peek of the next chapter!**

"_**Welcome to the fiftieth annual Venice violinist competition!" An announcer said, holding a large megaphone.**_

"_**Best of luck, Marie." Phantom R said, giving her a smile.**_

"_**You can do it, Marie. I believe in you." Feli said, hugging her tightly.**_

"_**Thank you, Feli. I really wish I could tha-" Marie started, but was cut off by ….**_

_**Don't forget to read and review!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Violinist In Venice, Part 3

**A/N: Whoa…Sorry for the long wait. This chapter was a LOT longer than I planned it to be….SEVEN reviews?! Yay! One last thing: The next chapter will be the last of the Violinist in Venice part. But expect Feli and Ro to randomly pop up to create a love triangle. (Pentagon in Ro's case….) Now, for the reviews!**

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**Guest: THANKS! Here it is! **

**CHAPTER 4: Violinist in Venice, Part 3**

* * *

Soon, the group arrived at the violinist competition, when the activities were about to start. Angel, Charlie, Emily, Galileo, and Leo merged into the crowd while Raphael, Marie, and Feli went backstage to prepare.

"Welcome to the fiftieth annual Venice violinist competition!" An announcer said, holding a large megaphone.

"Best of luck, Marie." Raphael said, giving her a smile.

"You can do it, Marie. I believe in you." Feli said, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, Feli. I really wish I could thank -" Marie was cut off by the sound of people screaming.

"What's going on?" Feli asked, grabbing Marie's hand and running outside. Raphael transformed into Phantom R, and then followed the two.

An army of chevalier's had invaded the ceremony, chasing people into corners and tearing down banners. A robot with a screen on its chest walked in between, searching for something. It looked at Marie, and then pointed at her.

"Well hello, Phantom R. It's been a long time since we've talked." J.F's face appeared on the screen, and he was smirking.

The chevalier's charged forward and Phantom R nodded at Marie.

"Marie, get out of here. We'll hold them off as long as possible." He said, adjusting his hat. Fondue barked in response.

Marie nodded, and dashed off.

J.F simply shrugged. "She can run, but she can't hide."

Emily and Angel ran up, with everyone else following.

"We'll defeat you, J.F!" Angel said, pulling out her bow.

"I wouldn't be so sure, _Angel. _Your boyfriend _Ro _wouldn't say that." J.F said, smirking.

"Ro is not my...Wait, what'd you do to him?!" Angel said, her face turning deep red.

"Vince would probably know. He's waiting for you at that restaurant you and your friendswere at, along with that old man. But if you like him alive, you'd better get going." J.F replied, smirking.

"No!" Feli said, worried.

Angel's blue eyes flashed red for a second, and then turned back to blue.

"You'll pay for this, J.F. If you hurt one hair on that jerks head..." Her eyes narrowed. She then ran off, disappearing out of sight.

Emily's eyes narrowed. "Charlie, Leo, go after her." The two nodded, and ran after her.

"What about me?" Feli asked, worried.

"Stay here. It's too dangerous." Emily ordered, grabbing her sword.

"You're still outnumbered, J.F." Phantom R said, arms folded.

"Not if you want Venice to be underwater. I took some _precautions _to ensure that you and I can have a private talk, Phantom R." J.F said.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, eyes narrowed.

"I've rigged the Venice water supply with a chlorosulfuric acid bomb. Emily, I should think you know what that is." J.F said, smirking.

Emily's eyes widened in fear, but then she sighed and narrowed her eyes again.

"Chlorosulfuric acid is a powerful compound that reacts VIOLENTLY with water. If we don't shut that thing off..." Emily started.

"Venice will either be a crater or flooded. Either one works for me." J.F said, shrugging.

"Galileo, come on. We've got a bomb to deactivate." Emily said, kicking open a porthole and jumping down. Galileo gave one last look at Phantom R, and then jumped down after her.

"Now, it's just you and me, Phantom R." J.F said, smirking.

"Don't forget about me!" Feli said, his hands balled into fists.

"Stay out of this if you value your life, boy." J.F said, glaring at Feli. "Speaking of lives..."

Another robot was holding Marie, and it flew into the air.

"Phantom R, help me!" Marie called, eyes widening in fear.

"If you value Marie's, you'll get the key and bring it to me." J.F said, smirking. The robot then flew up, and flew into the distance, and the one with the screen prepared to follow.

"Wait! Where do I meet you?" Phantom called.

"The warehouse at the far end of the Venice dock. Be there by sunset." J.F said, before the screen turned black.

Phantom R ran up and grabbed the key, and looked at the sky.

_A little less than an hour until sunset...What should I do? I can't let J.F hurt Marie...But I can't let him get this key either...Worse, I don't have anyone to have my back... _Phantom R thought, holding the green key in his hand. He sighed, and then started to run.

_Looks like I'll just have to wing it. Hopefully everyone else can keep their problems at bay..._

Someone grabbed his arm, and Phantom R turned back.

"I'm going to help you get Marie back." Feli said, folding his arms.

"No way. It's way too dangerous." Phantom R said, freeing himself.

"I have no clue who this guy is, but he not only kidnapped my grandpa and half-brother, but he kidnapped Marie as well. Besides, unless you're a local, you'll never make it to the docks by sunset. You don't even know how to get there, do you?" Feli asked.

Raphael cringed, lost in thought.

_As much as I hate the idea, Feli has a point. I can't make it by sunset unless I have his help...But I put him in a lot_ _of danger if I do allow him to come with me..._

Raphael sighed. "Fine. But we need to be careful."

* * *

"Angel, I have a question..." Leo asked, running after her and Charlie.

"What?!" Angel asked, running ahead of the two.

"We're supposed to just jump in and have no plan?" Charlie asked.

"We'll just improvise!" Angel said, kicking open the doors.

Cesare sat at a table, holding a glass of red wine. The lights were turned off, and the reflective red of the wine contrasted the blue.

"So, this is the Angel I have heard so much about. I thought angels gave miracles, not curses." Cesare said, sipping his wine.

"I thought spoiled brats like you had better things to do than be part of the mafia." Angel retorted.

Cesare sighed. "It would be much easier for you to surrender, you know. If you want to keep your friends alive. J.F wanted me to kill you...But we could work something out, with someone of your body type..." He started, eyes studying Angel's figure.

Angel glared and cracked her knuckles. "I'd make you eat those words, but you won't have any teeth when I'm done with you."

Cesare laughed, and snapped his fingers. The lights turned on, and it showed Ro and Roma tied to a support. Along with about some hundred chevaliers.

"So...How do we improvise this?" Leo asked, nervous.

* * *

**The Underground Passage (Rhythm Thief OST)**

"Emily, what will happen if we DON'T stop this bomb J.F planted in time?" Galileo asked, walking beside Emily.

"Considering Venice is just a connected series of over one hundred islands, there's a ninety percent chance that most of Venice will be a crater." Emily said, staring at her wristwatch.

"What's the other ten percent?" Galileo asked, nervous.

"That intense pressure in the water plumbing could cause Venice to flood and be a part of the ocean." Emily finished, still tapping her watch.

Galileo gulped, paling. "How much time do we have?"

"Thirty minutes. The good news is I've located the bomb, and I can probably deactivate it." She said, tapping.

"Probably?" Galileo asked.

"Eighty eight percent. However, we have no idea of who or what to expect when we arrive." Emily said, turning on a flashlight.

"It's better than nothing?" Galileo asked. Emily didn't respond, but simply put a finger to her lips and nodded at a nearby doorway.

Galileo nodded, and followed her inside.

"Whoa..." Galileo asked, looking around. The two were hidden behind a pillar, but that didn't help. Chevaliers roamed everywhere, in groups of two or more. Some wandered the grounds, while others typed at screens. A large bomb sat at the center of the room, and a man with his back turned was operating it. His red hair was a dead giveaway of who he was, though.

"We have a problem." Emily said, purple eyes narrowing. "If I'm going to shut off that bomb from leaking the acid into the water supply, I need to access that computer that Isaac is standing at, and all of these chevaliers aren't helping..." She said, her eyes narrowing.

"Do you think we should try to talk to him? He is Phantom R's dad..." Galileo started.

"Considering how he's planning to blow up Venice, I don't think that's the best idea. I hope everyone else is doing better than us..." Emily said, folding her arms.

* * *

"Here we are. I'm guessing those walking can openers work for the guy who kidnapped Marie?" Feli asked, pointing at the chevaliers moving toward and from the building.

"Yep. That's them for sure." Phantom R said. Fondue barked in response, sniffing the air expectantly.

"So, what do we do?" Feli asked.

"We'll have to sneak inside. Once we're in, we can make a plan to rescue Marie. There has to be some other entrance besides the front door..." Phantom R started, looking around.

"The roof. There's a window on top of there, and it's large enough that both of us could fit." Feli said, pointing up to the roof.

"Great. Now, how do we get up there?" R asked.

"There's a ladder at the back of the warehouse. All we need is a distraction..." Feli said, rubbing his chin.

Phantom R grinned. "Leave that to me. Fondue, do you think you can do it?"

"Wouerf!" Fondue replied, and then ran ahead.

"Let's go." Phantom R said, running with Feli following.

The two climbed up the ladder, and the two entered the room. They were on a small ledge, and were able to see all the activities going on below without having to worry about being spotted.

J.F was pacing around, with many chevaliers wandering the grounds. Marie was tied to a building support, her violin leaning next to her.

"Okay, we need a plan. If we're going to free Marie, one of us needs to keep J.F and those chevaliers occupied, and the other can free Marie. Then we'll need to get out from there..." Phantom R said, thinking.

"You have that key, right? It has to be important, since this J.F guy wants it so bad..." Feli said. Phantom R nodded, and pulled out the glowing green key. The mark of Tiamat was on it, along with a flower and a leaf.

"Can I see it?" Feli asked, and Phantom R passed it to him. Feli fiddled with it for a few moments, and the top of it popped off, along with a scrap of paper.

"Ack! I didn't mean to do that..." Feli whispered. Phantom R didn't respond, but picked up the paper and studied it.

"It's a map..." Phantom R started, but then froze.

_Each key shows where its weapon is hidden...If the true Napoleon obtains all the weapons, he could break the seal and become immortal...That's why he wants the key! He knows I'd willing trade it for Marie...How could I have been so stupid?! _Phantom R thought, mentally face palming.

"Phantom R, are you there?" Feli asked, poking him.

Phantom suddenly smiled. "I think I have a plan."

* * *

"Oh, great. Looks like the king brought all the tin can knights with him." Charlie said, kicking her soccer ball at anyone who got to close.

"In that case, maybe we should overthrow him!" Angel yelled, firing an arrow at Cesare. He kicked up his table, and the arrow stuck into it. Two knives appeared in his arms, and he smiled evilly.

"You can't overthrow me. I have money, power, and the only thing I'm missing is a suitable heir...More importantly, the woman to bear it. After all, it would be a shame for such a fair maiden's beauty to be wasted..."

"Your rich and you're a jerk. Shouldn't girls be flocking to you?" Leo said, getting into a fist fight with Vince.

Cesare laughed coldly, "You're right. But they are only dull little pigeons that fly away at the first discomfort. I want someone with a personality, someone with flare...But you risk

your life for what? For a simple street rat who can barely provide for himself. I could provide you with everything you could ever want..." Cesare started, eyes glazing over.

"My mother died in childbirth when she had me. My father loved my mother dearly for that, and he never forgave me for looking just like him. Now he has no remembrance of her, and all he does is care for that STUPID restaurant of his! Everything I do is wrong to him. He'd rather have a sweet, kind daughter. One with the same orange hair and blue eyes as his dead wife. If I were to wed someone like that..." Cesare laughed, eyes narrowing into slits. "My father would never forget me again. I could finally be a son that he'd love." He finished, laughing evilly.

"Sorry about that, but I'm not available for marriage. Maybe we can talk AFTER the five to twenty years you'll spend in prison for assault and hostage taking." Angel said, drawing a golden badge.

Charlie ran to Angel, holding her soccer ball tightly. "I've taken care of all the chevaliers..." She said, before being grabbed from behind by Bruce. Vince grabbed Leo as well, and Cesare stared at his knives, grinning.

"You can't win, Angel. I have Ro, Vince has Leonardo, and Bruce has Charlie. You can't take us all at once. Two, maybe. But unless you obey me, I'll have their necks snapped like twigs." He said, looking from Vince to Angel, and then Bruce.

"Fine." Angel said, dropping her bow to the ground.

"Indeed. You shall be my queen, and together, we will rule!" Cesare said, grabbing Angel and smiling broadly.

Angel glanced at Charlie, Leo, Ro, and Roma, and made a clock with her hands. _I need time._

The four nodded, and then Charlie cleared her throat.

"But what is a queen without a wedding?" She asked.

Cesare thought for a moment. "True...fine. We shall be united at sunset!" He proclaimed.

"But one cannot simply have a wedding without a wedding feast, no?" Roma asked, smiling.

"That-That's true!" Leo said, as Vince slowly started to crush him.

"And I would love to have Roma cook for my wedding. After all...shouldn't it be an unforgettable event?" Angel asked, using her most innocent look.

"Anything for my queen." Cesare said, smiling at an uncomfortable Angel.

"But, I cannot accomplish this feat without help...If you let the other three of us go, then we can certainly be done by sunset.

Cesare nodded, and then grabbed Angel's hand. "Come, my queen. We must find a dress suitable for you."

Angel let out a silent sigh.

_I just need to get Charlie, Leo, Ro, and Roma out of harm's way. Hopefully everyone else is okay..._

* * *

"We're running out of time, Emily. We have to make some sort of move, or we'll be in a crater." Galileo said, worried,

"We can't just jump in. We don't know what we're up against. We'll need to hide in plain sight..." Emily said, looking around, and then eyed an undefended chevalier.

"Gal, wait here. I hope this plan works..." Emily said, silently approaching the chevalier. She then did a directional slash at its back, and it exploded into dust, leaving an iron mask and cape behind. Emily picked them up and handed the items to Galileo.

"Wait...Why me?" Galileo asked, worried.

"I'm too tall, my hair is too long, and I highly doubt that you know how to disable a sulfuric acid bomb." Emily said, tossing the mask to Galileo.

"What do I have to do?" He asked.

"Simple. Just keep Isaac distracted long enough until I've disabled the bomb. Then we run." Emily said, folding her arms.

Galileo sighed, but walked close to Isaac, who disregarded him.

"Uh...Sir, how long until this bomb goes off?" Gal asked, nervously.

"Ten minutes. You shouldn't worry, as we'll be gone long before it goes off." Isaac replied, not looking up.

"But what about the Rhythm Thief?" Gal asked.

"Don't worry. I've sealed all the exits, and now there's only one, and it's guarded. But, Galileo, I highly doubt you'll make it." Isaac said, eye narrowing. He then drew a scythe, and pointed it at Galileo's chest. The scythe had the mark of Tiamat on both sides, and it was black as night.

"Humph. Funny how the two that look so alike are so different." Emily said, drawing her sword. Isaac turned toward her, and pointed the scythe at her. Then, the mark of Tiamat glowed.

"Hm. Another weapon user. According to my ruler, that makes five that we know." Isaac said, eye narrowing.

"But aren't there seven items total?" Galileo asked, nervous.

"The last two weapon users have not been found...But the last three heroes are unknown as well." Emily retorted, eyes narrowing as well.

Isaac blinked. "It can only take one to turn the tables. Now, shall we battle?"

"Ready when you are!" Emily yelled, charging forward.

"Emily, what about the bomb?" Gal asked.

"I'll-take-care-of-that-later!" She replied, parrying with Isaac.

"There won't be a later unless you can finish fighting him under five minutes!" Galileo said, worried.

* * *

"Long time no see, Jean-François." Phantom R said, jumping from above. "It seems you're the same evil genius as always."

"Phantom R!" Marie said in relief. Phantom R gave her a wink, then turned to J.F

"Well, if it isn't the Rhythm Thief, always so predictable." J.F said, smiling evilly.

"I brought the key. Now, let Marie go!" Phantom R said, holding out the shining key.

J.F laughed. "Don't you get it? Bad guys never play fair. Instead, I'm going to go for the easier option; have the chevalier's tear you limb from limb, and then take both the key and Marie." He finished, the chevalier's surrounding Phantom R.

"Why would you do it, Jean Francois? All of that genius used for evil..." Phantom R said eyes sad.

"Hm. Finally, someone who appreciates my genius. Since you're dead anyway, I might as well tell you." J.F said, pausing.

Meanwhile with a tied up Marie, (Who almost everyone had forgotten) stared in fear, until a hand muffled her mouth.

"Shh...It's me. Phantom's just stalling so we can get you out of here." Feli said, slowly untying her bonds. The ropes soon fell at a tangled mess at her feet, leaving her freed.

"Thank you, Feli. I knew you both would come back." She said, kissing him on the cheek. Feli blushed, starting to stutter.

"What? Did I do something wrong? I never did kiss anyone before..." Marie started, worried.

"Don't worry about it. Now, let's get out of here before anyone notices us..." Feli said, holding her hand. The two slowly walked across, until-

"Hey! What are you two doing here?!" A chevalier yelled, pointing at the two.

J.F's eye narrowed in anger. "You again. You're not an item user or a hero for that matter. Why do you engross yourself in things that are none of your concern?!" He raged.

"It is now. You've threatened my family, friends, and my home." Feli said, brown eyes glaring.

"Fine! You want to trick me, do you? Then laugh on this! Your home will be nothing but a CRATER in less than FIVE MINUTES!" J.F said, laughing uncontrollably.

"Yeah, right. Emily's the best at bomb disabling." Phantom R said. _And if we didn't, we would have a huge problem with Angel. _He thought, nervous.

"That may be true, Phantom R. But even if she and that other street rat backup of yours make it past Isaac-"

Marie gasped, and Phantom R flinched.

"-I've made sure that the bomb needs something _special _to be deactivated." J.F finished, smiling evilly.

**END CHAPTER 4**

**Sneak peek of Chapter 5!**

* * *

"_**Emily, we have a problem!" Galileo yelled, urgent.**_

"_**Indeed you do." J.F said, walking from the shadows.**_

"_**But that's not possible!" Emily said, eyes widening in alarm.**_

* * *

**Don't forget to read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Violinist in Venice, Finale!

**A/N: Yes! I actually finished a chapter in a week! Anyway, this is the last part of Violinist in Venice, as I decided to just keep the Temple in one chapter. After that, the group will go after the second key! Now, for the reviews:**

**Guest: THANKS! What we really need is the narrator from Dragon Ball Z to say that. THEN it would heat up.**

**Justrockzyxxx: THANKS! Hopefully the other chapters will be like that too…**

**Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye: THANKS! After the first temple, the group will go after the next key and the temple after that. I'll give it 5-7 chapters before the wind key arc starts.**

**StrikerDaisy: THANKS! It's always important to keep your OC's from being to Mary-Sueish or too vague. I hope the others that arrive will fit in as well…  
**

**CHAPTER 5: Violinist in Venice, Finale!**

* * *

"What are you talking about?!" Phantom R asked, worried.

"Simple. In order for the bomb to be completely shut down, you would need the shutoff switch, which I left in the care of someone special." J.F said, smirking.

Phantom R's eyes narrowed. "If you don't have it...and my father doesn't have it..."

Marie and Feli's eyes widened. "CESARE!"

J.F smirked. "Correct."

"Wait. Who the heck is Cesare?" Phantom R said, confused.

* * *

"Pass me the garlic." Leo said, cooking next to Charlie. The four of them were inside the kitchen, each cooking in some way.

"Here. What do you think Angel's planning?" Charlie asked, handing him garlic.

"Hopefully she's got something planned. As long as we can get out of here _alive _that would be fine with me." Leo said, mincing the garlic.

"Don't you think something is...Off?" Charlie asked, looking at Leo.

"Besides someone like that trying to marry Angel?" Leo asked, mixing in the garlic into the sauce.

"That, and Cesare kept reaching for his pocket...It's like he had something hidden there..." Charlie said, thinking deeply.

"A pistol then?" Leo asked.

"No...It was too small and narrow..." Charlie said, thinking again.

"Do you think it's important?" Leo asked.

"NOTHING about that guy is important." Ro snapped, eyes flaring.

"Wait a minute. How do you know Angel, anyway?" Charlie asked.

"Did you two date in the past or something?" Leo asked.

"Me? Date her? I'd rather date CESARE of all people! She's too loud, too annoying, too-" Ro started.

"Here we go again. _Buon Dio, basta ammetterlo gia!" _He said, raising his arms.

"No! I will not admit it already! There is nothing between us! Nothing!" Ro said, raging.

"If you both deny it, then you both are either very bad liars or there was something between you two." Leo said, green eyes narrowing.

Ro sighed. "Fine. It started about three years ago..."

"We have arrived!" Cesare yelled, pulling someone behind him.

"Whoa..." Charlie said, staring at Angel in her wedding dress.

The dress was a mix of white and a pale blue, with pearls and ribbons sewn into the sides. It was intricate, but...it was so big, it was impossible to tell who was in it. A bright veil covered her face, leaving only her mouth exposed.

"Well...What do you guys think?" Angel asked, her mouth set in a straight line. It was impossible to tell her expression, as her voice hid her feelings as well.

"Well...If the shoe fits, wear it." Leo said, staring.

Ro simply turned away and ignored her, and Cesare smirked.

"Now, the wedding can begin!"

"Before we go, may I use the ladies room?" Angel asked.

"Indeed. First door on your left down the hall." Cesare said.

Angel walked toward the bathroom, but before she did, she punched Ro in the arm.

* * *

"Emily, we're running out of time! Galileo said, worried.

"I-am-a-lit-tle-bu-sy-right-now!" Emily said, still parrying Isaac. He wasn't trying to genuinely harm her; only keep her occupied long enough so the bomb could go off.

"Three minutes until bomb is detonated. Please evacuate area immediately." A computerized voice said.

"Galileo...I need you to listen to me VERY carefully...You-" Emily ducked, the scythe missing her head by inches. "-Need to disable the bomb. Isaac isn't giving me any chance-" She stopped again, catching the scythe on her sword. "-To do it myself."

"M-Me?!" Galileo asked, shocked.

"We-don't-have-any-other-options!" Emily said, her and Isaac at a standstill.

Galileo walked up to the screen, nervous. "Okay..."

"Two minutes until bomb is detonated." The computerized voice said.

"Ok. First go to the screen on your left. Then tap that screen twice, rotate that knob once. Then hit that button twice, and open the panel. Now, what do you see?" Emily asked, leading Isaac as far away from Galileo as possible.

"There are two buttons, one green and one blue." He replied.

"Now, this is the most important part. One button stops the countdown, and the other detonates it. The button you need to press is the -MMFH!" Emily's mouth was covered by Isaac's hand, cutting off the most crucial piece.

"One minute until detonation. Evacuate vicinity immediately." The computerized voice said.

"Better hurry, Galileo. It's only two buttons." A new voice said. Everyone turned, and Emily's eyes widened in horror.

"J.F? But you're supposed to be with -" Galileo said, startled.

"Don't you have something better to do, like deactivate a bomb?" J.F said, smirking.

* * *

"Well, the game was fun while it lasted. Terribly sorry you both have to die." J.F said, smirking.

"Even if that bomb goes off, it'll take us all to the grave!" Phantom R protested.

"Not all of you. Emily and Galileo, most likely. As for the rest of you..." He shrugged. "Who cares?"

"What about you then?" Feli asked.

"You see, I'm not in Venice at all. I was able to design quite a few things in prison, including some robots...Androids, to be precise. I can make one that looks like any of you. However, I've only had enough time to design ones that look like me. I can control as many as I like at a time, and be in two places at once. How about an example, then?" J.F said, holding out his palm. A blue light emanated from it, and two screens appeared over his head. One showing a church with Cesare and Angel in wedding attire, another showing a frightened Galileo.

"Now, you've heard too much already. Chevalier's, take only the girl alive." J.F ordered, grinning.

"Phantom, I have two things to say to you. Number one...You're an awesome friend, and it'd be an honor to die fighting next to you." Feli said, nodding at Phantom R.

"Thanks. Same here." Phantom R said, balling up his fists.

"Another thing...Promise me that if I don't make it, you'll get Marie out of here." Feli said, balling up his fists. Phantom R nodded at him, and Marie gave him a tight hug.

"It won't matter. In a few seconds, the bomb will go off"! J.F said, smirking.

* * *

"Thirty seconds, Galileo. Choose wisely." J.F said, smirking.

"Wait a minute..." Galileo started.

"You don't have a minute." Isaac said, still holding his hand tightly over Emily's mouth. (While Emily was trying her best to break free.)

"Shouldn't you be with Feli, Marie, and Phantom R?" Galileo asked.

"Funny you should ask that. In prison, I was able to design some new gadgets, mainly robots. I can make one that looks like any of you, but I only had the materials to design types that looked like me. I can control as many as I like at once. How about a quick demo?" He said, a blue light emanated from his hand, showing two screens, One with Phantom R, Marie, and Feli and the other showing Angel and Cesare in wedding attire.

"Ten seconds until detonation." The computerized voice said.

_Please be right, please be right, and please be right! _Galileo thought, hitting the blue button.

"Five seconds...left..." Then the generator powered down. Galileo sighed, until the generator powered on.

"Four...Three..."

"Emily, we have a problem!" Galileo said, worried.

"Indeed you do." J.F said, smirking.

Emily finally broke free of Isaac, and then ran for the generator.

"But that's not possible!" Emily said, worried.

"Two...One."

Everyone cringed, waiting for the explosion. Except there never was one.

"What is the meaning of this?!" J.F said, raging.

Emily smirked. "Two can play at your game, Jean-Francois. The very charger that would prevent me from deactivating your bomb, I used to prevent you from activating it."

J.F clenched his hands into fists. "Isaac, get to that church and activate that charger immediately!"

Isaac nodded, then warped away.

"Isaac...He's gone?" Galileo asked.

"No time. Come on, we have a wedding to attend." Emily said, running off.

* * *

"Hm. It seems Emily has switched the chess board. Chevalier's, get to that church NOW!" J.F said, ordering them around.

"Hey, I know where that church is. If we hurry, we can beat them to it." Feli said, running as Phantom R and Marie followed him.

* * *

Cesare stood at the front, next to a priest. Vince and Bruce sat in a pew, guns trained on Charlie, Leo, Ro, and Roma.

"How long is this priest going to ramble on for?" Charlie whispered to Leo.

"The longer, the better. I hope Angel's plan will work." Leo whispered back, looking nervously at Vince and Bruce.

"Cesare August, do you take Angel to be your wife, through sickness and through-"

"I do." Cesare said, looking at Angel.

"Angel, do you take Cesare-"

"I do." Angel said, her lips set into a smile.

"You may now kiss the bride." The priest said, smiling.

Cesare smiled, and leaned forward toward Angel. Angel's lips were still in a smile.

"Sorry, but I'm not the marital type." Angel said, even though her voice sounded deeper. She then pulled her fist back and sent Cesare sprawling.

Ro jumped up as Cesare, grabbing a knife from his coat and charging at Bruce and Vince.

"But...Why?" Cesare asked. Angel grinned, and then threw her veil off. Ro pulled of his sunglasses, revealing two bright blue eyes instead of dark brown.

"The oldest trick in the book." Charlie said, smirking.

"Ro, the least you could have done was picked some clothing that WASN'T made to keep you warm in Canadian weather." Angel said, tearing off the jacket revealing her black suit.

Then the church doors opened, and then the party started.

**The True Chevaliers (Rhythm Thief and the Emperors Treasure)**

"Angel, it isn't good manners to not invite your own sister to your wedding." Emily said, running through with Galileo following.

"Shame I missed the wedding. How about I get that charger and we call it even?" Isaac said, bursting through the window.

"It's not polite not to finish what you start. En- garde!" Emily yelled, unsheathing her sword.

Phantom R, Marie, and Feli ran in, Fondue barking at their feet.

"Sorry Angel, but this wedding needs to be canceled!" Phantom R said, running for the altar.

"Chevalier's, get that charger!" J.F yelled, pointing at Cesare.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that to my home." Feli said, balling up his fists.

So, the scene was like this: Emily was dueling with Isaac, Angel, Charlie, and Leo were fighting the three gangsters, Phantom R and Feli were taking care of the chevalier's, Ro and Cesare were battling, and Galileo, Marie, and the priest were trying not to get hurt.

Cesare's eyes then flashed, and he pulled out the small remote.

"The charger!" Emily said, running forward. Isaac ran after her, along with everyone else.

"EVERYONE STOP!" Cesare yelled. "Anybody moves, and I blow this stupid city

sky high!" He said.

"Now, all you need to do is give the remote to me, and we can end this peacefully." Isaac said, holding out his arm.

"Please, just give the switch to me. We won't hurt you..." Angel said, holding out her hand.

"I said go AWAY!" Cesare retorted.

Marie then started to play her violin slowly, everyone's attention focusing on her. The sound of the moon princess slowly echoed across the church, silencing everyone.

"Why must we all fight? Can't we all just get along?" She asked, still playing the violin. Soon she finished, and Cesare walked over to her.

"That song...My father had a recording of mother playing it. I always tried to perfect it, but I never could..." Cesare said, holding Marie's hand. Marie smiled at him.

"Can you please give me the remote? Venice is a wonderful place..." She said, before Cesare put the remote in her hand. Marie then crushed it underneath her foot, and the generator turned off.

"Thank you, Marie. Your music...It can heal. I felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders...Thank you. I have to go. My father...I need to make up with him." Cesare said, running out of the church. Vince and Bruce shrugged, and then ran after him.

At the word 'father', Phantom R turned to look at Isaac.

"Father..." He started, but Isaac turned away. Then there was a flash of black smoke. When it finally cleared, Isaac, J.F, and all the chevaliers were gone.

Phantom R sighed, and transformed into Raphael. Emily rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be worried, Raphael. We have a long way to go before our quest is finished. People change with time."

Raphael smiled at her. "Thanks, Emily."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can someone help me out of this STUPID dress?!" Ro yelled, causing Angel to smirk.

"Don't worry; I'll get you out...After some 'harmless' pictures." She said, pulling out her phone. Ro's eyes widened.

"Don' .Dare." Ro said, eyes narrowing.

"Hmm...Which social networking site should I upload these to first?" Angel said, smiling innocently.

"Why you little...When I get my hands on that phone..." Ro started, chasing after a laughing Angel.

"Well...What do we do now?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah...I hope we didn't cook all that wedding food for nothing...My eyes are still red from all those onions..." Leo said, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, there's only one thing to do with a wedding feast..." Raphael said, smiling.

"Woeurf!" Fondue barked, wagging his tail at Marie.

* * *

"Wow, Charlie. I didn't know you could cook..." Raphael said, smiling at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Charlie retorted.

"You didn't let me finish. I meant to say I didn't know you could cook..._Well._" Raphael finished, smirking.

"Shut up." Charlie said, turning back to her food.

"So, what do we do now?" Galileo asked.

"From my comparison of the scrap in the key and the map, I can safely assume the temple is somewhere in the amazon rain forest." Emily said, stirring her ice.

"But that area takes up quite a bit of South America. How are we supposed to find one temple in a massive forest?" He asked, confused.

"Don't worry. According to the book, the key and Raphael's bracelet should react when we get near it. We can explore the area with the airship and find it quicker than on land."

Emily finished, sipping her water.

"Angel, I have a question." Leo said, turning to her.

"Ask away, then." Angel said, sipping her water.

"How did you meet Ro, anyway?"

Angel coughed on her water, tears coming to her eyes.

"Anything wrong, Angel?" Emily asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing. Speaking of Ro, where is that idiot, anyway?" Angel said, looking around.

Ro walked in, back in his regular attire.

"So, the kids want to know how we met. Should you start or should I?" Angel asked, looking at him.

"You start." Ro said, glaring at her.

"Okay. This happened quite a while ago, before I met Raphael, Charlie, and everyone else. In fact, it was just when I started being an agent..." Angel said, starting.

Emily nodded. "That's correct."

"So, it was one of my first jobs as an agent, and I was supposed to do a stake out a drug bust in Napoli. Unfortunately, things didn't go according to my plan..." Angel started.

"Didn't go to plan? Heck, you would have been SLAUGHTERED if I wasn't there." Ro protested.

"Slaughtered? I was doing perfectly FINE until YOU showed up!" Angel protested.

As the two started to have a full-fledged argument, Feli looked at Marie.

"Can you come over here? I'd like to show you something." He said, extending his hand and leading her outside to the balcony.

* * *

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Feli said, sitting next to Marie.

"Yeah, it is..." Marie said, sighing.

"What's the matter, _fiore_?" Feli asked, looking at her. (Fiore means flower)

"It's just that...Once we leave, I'll never see you again..." Marie said, sighing.

"How are you so sure? None of us can see the future." Feli said, smiling at her.

Marie then smiled. "Thanks, Feli. I'll miss you." She then hugged him tightly, and he laughed.

"I'll miss you too, _fiore._ Come on, let's head back before everyone starts to get worried." Feli said, smiling. Marie smiled back, and walked inside. Raphael stood by the door, smiling at Marie as he passed by her.

"Hi, Feli." Raphael said, sitting next to him. Feli nodded at him, and looked at the stars shining in the night.

"Emily says we're leaving soon..." Raphael started.

"Marie told me. But we'll see each other in the future, right?" Feli asked, looking at Raphael.

"I hope so...When you're destined to save the world from an undead emperor, it can really mess up your social life." Raphael said, smirking.

"You like Marie, don't you?" Feli asked, looking at Raphael.

"Well...As a friend..." Raphael started his face lighting up.

"More than a friend." Feli corrected, staring at Raphael. Raphael sighed, and nodded.

"If that's true, why don't you tell her?" Feli asked.

"It's just that...It's just that..." Raphael sighed again. "I can't put it into words. I care about her so much...But what if she doesn't like me back?" Raphael asked.

"Sometimes you just have to take a chance. Besides, I'm sure Marie likes you too." Feli said, smiling.

"But what if she doesn't like me like that?" Raphael asked again.

Feli sighed. "Like, like, like. If you're so worried, then at least try to be better friends with her." Feli said, standing up.

Raphael smiled, and stood next to him.

"Thanks for everything, Feli. I hope we meet again." Raphael said, shaking his hand.

"You too. Oh, and one more thing..." Feli said, trailing off.

"Take good care of Marie, okay? She's a great girl, and you shouldn't lose her." Feli said, patting Raphael on the back.

Marie then walked to the balcony, looking at the two.

"Feli, your grandpa wants you to help with dessert." Marie said, smiling at him and walking away.

"Don't forget to invite me to the wedding." Feli whispered, as soon as Marie was out of earshot.

After the wedding dinner, the group, (Plus Feli and Ro) went to the airship to prepare to leave.

"So, where do we go now?" Leo asked, sitting up.

"We're going to south America to the Amazon rain forest. Then we can get in the temple, get the weapon, and get out. Hopefully we won't have any trouble. After that, we can go after the next key." Emily finished, standing up. "I'll start the engines." She said, walking to the control room. Everybody else crowded around Feli, telling him goodbye.

"I'll miss you, Feli!" Marie said, hugging him tightly.

"I'll miss you all...Well, all of you except Charlie." Feli said, smirking.

"What?!" Charlie asked, eyes flaring.

"I won't miss you. I will simply count the seconds until we meet again. One...Two...Three...F-" Feli started, eyes narrowed seductively.

Charlie's eyes narrowed down, seething. She opened her mouth to say something, decided not to, and then walked away.

"Better watch your back, Raphael. When a girl stomps off like that, it means they're going to get even." Leo warned, and then ran after Charlie.

Meanwhile, Ro and Angel were arguing about something, while Emily simply watched, slightly amused.

"You are _the _most annoying girl I have ever met! I get into a wedding dress, save your life _twice _and you're the one who yells at me for every little thing!" Ro said, glaring at Angel.

"_Twice? _I've saved your life so many times, death is mad that we've been cheating him so many times!" Angel retorted.

"Well, _you're _annoying!" Ro yelled.

"Well, _you're _a jerk!" Angel yelled back.

"I hate you!" Ro yelled, glaring at Angel.

"I hate you more!" Angel yelled, glaring at Ro.

The two stared at each other for a minute, and then burst out laughing.

"I'll miss you, you know." Angel said, leaning against Ro.

"I won't...Yeesh, I was kidding!" Ro said, smiling as Angel glared at him.

"Lovebirds! Emily says it's time to go!" Raphael called, laughing.

"Don't forget to email me. If you don't, I'll assume you're dead." Angel said, smiling and running into the airship.

"Everybody in? Once we're up, we won't be back down in a while." Emily asked, turning on the airship.

"Let's see...R, Marie, Charlie, Leo, Galileo, and I. That's everyone!" Angel said, counting.

A bark and meow caused her to look at her feet, where Fondue and Midnight were starting at her.

"Silly me. I forgot Fondue and Midnight." Angel said, petting the two animals heads.

"Now, let's go!" Emily said, hitting the ignition and the airship flew into the sky.

**END CHAPTER 5**

**Here's a sneak peek of the next chapter!**

* * *

_**'Welcome heroes, to the temple of grass. Beware, as many have failed to pass. The weapon that is here makes sounds as sweet as a lute. But beware; never eat the fruit.'**_

**"Lute, fruit, got it, let's go!" Angel said, leading the way through the temple.**

* * *

**Don't forget to read and review!**


	6. The Temple Of Grass

**A/N: Okay, I am VERY VERY VERY sorry for that hiatus. The beginning of summer really packs your schedule…That, and I HATE writing temples. So to help both you guys and myself, I'm going to see if anyone wants to write any of the temples. Each of them are different because they focus on a different person and element, so just PM me with the temple you want so I can give more details. (If you don't have a FF account I have a Deviant Art under the same name) Here's a list of temple, along with the people they focus on. (In order of appearance)**

**Lightning/ Volt Temple – Charlie**

**Fire Temple – Angel**

**Earth Temple – Leo**

**(The Wind, Water, and Ice Temples aren't included for plot reasons.)**

**I'll do this first come, first serve basis. Now, for the reviews:**

**Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye: THANKS! Me too. It's going to be fun writing all of them. **

**Justrockzyxxx: THANKS! That's true.**

**Guestt: THANKS! About the music thing: Unless otherwise noted by an End, a line break means for music to stop. Sorry about that.**

**StrikerDaisy: THANKS! True. Just a little thing to keep my readers guessing. Feli and Ro will appear at LEAST once in future chapters.**

**CHAPTER 6**

Everyone was relaxing for the moment, waiting until they arrive above the amazon. Raphael held the key, studying it. It had the stamp of Tiamat on it, next to a flower. An engraving was on it, in a language that not even Emily knew. Marie was sitting next to him, tuning her violin. Leo sat next to Charlie on another couch, the two chatting and smiling at each other. Angel and Galileo sat at a table on the other side of the room, playing a game of checkers.

"I wonder what this engraving means. It must mean something..." Raphael said, studying it. Marie looked at him, and then took it from his hand.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually..." She said, and then the key started to glow. The engraving turned gold, and the words became legible.

_"This key opens the temple of grass. Only the dragon's heart can open the pass." _Raphael read.

"But who's the dragon heart?" Marie asked.

"_The dragon heart beats with the Tiamat violin's sound. Whoever plays the instrument is the one who must be found." _Raphael said, looking at Marie.

"Marie...I think you're the dragon heart." Raphael said, staring at her.

"Does the key say anything else?" Marie asked.

"No..." Raphael said, but then the key started to glow again. A beam of golden light shot out the nearby window, and everyone ran over to see where it was.

In a meadow below, the light had made the Tiamat symbol on the grass.

"Well, that must be where the grass temple is." Angel said, looking outside.

"But there's nothing there..." Galileo said, looking at Angel.

"Don't you think people would want to hide a weapon that could decide the fate of our world?" Charlie said, folding her arms.

"Either way, we're heading down there. We'd better get ready." Raphael said, turning into Phantom R.

* * *

"Here we are. The largest and most vibrant rain forest in the world." Emily said, tying her hair behind her head. The group had walked into the clearing,

the sun hanging high in the sky.

"I don't see a temple anywhere..." Leo said, looking around.

The key started to glow again, and Phantom R read the glowing words.

_"If you want the reveal the temple gate, let the one hold the key to the sun four hours after eight.'" _Phantom R read, and then handed the key to Marie.

"Eight plus four equals twelve, so the time must be noon..." Charlie said, checking her watch.

"But in what time zone? France and South America have different time zones..." Galileo started. Angel shrugged, and then turned to Marie.

"Just hold up the key, Marie. Then we can see what happens." Angel said. Marie nodded, and held the key up to the sun.

After a few minutes, Emily sighed. "Nothing is happening...What should we do now?" She asked, looking around.

"Well, patience is a virtue...Wait, do you guys feel that?" Angel asked, the earth shifting beneath the groups feet. Then, a giant gate emerged from the ground, covered in vines and flowers. A large keyhole was in the middle of it.

"Well, here goes nothing." Marie said, pushing in the key and twisted it. The keyhole glowed, and then the gate shrunk into the ground. An opening then appeared in the ground, a staircase leading down.

The group stood around the edges, peering inside.

"Well...Do we go down there?" Galileo asked, looking down the dark staircase.

"We'll have to. The first weapon is down there, and we need to get it. I'll go first." Emily said, walking down. Angel followed her, along with Raphael, Marie, Leo, Charlie, and Galileo."

* * *

**Puzzle Theme (Rhythm Thief and the Emperors Treasure)**

"Does this passage ever end?" Galileo asked, wandering in the darkness. Angel tapped her watch, the light illuminating the place to a degree.

"It has to. Why else would Napoleon be after it so much?" Charlie said, keeping a close hold on Leo's hand.

"Look! There's a light!" Marie said, pointing at the bottom. The group ran down, until Emily put her hand out to stop everyone.

"Well, there's our temple." Leo said, folding his arms. Everyone else gasped, looking at the wonder in front of them.

The group stood in a wide valley, full of green grass and flowers. A large pyramid sat at the far end of the valley, the front door wide open. The place was in an underground dome, the only light coming from a circular hole in the ceiling.

Emily walked over to the side of the dome, running a gloved hand over the side.

"How do you think this was formed?" Angel asked, looking up.

"Probably some sort of volcanic eruption caused this underground pocket. Heaven knows how deep down we are." She said, turning toward the temple and walking toward it. Everyone else followed her, and the group entered the temple.

* * *

The group walked into the temple in a single file line, and the group made it inside.

"What's that on the wall?" Marie asked, pointing at the strange markings.

"They're some sort of hieroglyphics... I can't make any sense of it." Angel said, staring.

"Wait, there's a drawing in the corner... Phantom, it looks like your bracelet." Charlie said, pointing at the drawing.

Phantom R held up his bracelet, and a golden light spread onto the hieroglyphics and it was translated into English.

_**'Welcome, heroes, to the temple of grass. Beware, as many have failed to pass. The weapon here makes sounds as sweet as a lute. But beware, and NEVER eat the fruit.'**_

"Lute, fruit, got it, let's go!" Angel said, running forward. Everyone else followed, walking into another room. A door was shut on the far end, with markings on it. Everyone else walked up to it and studied it.

"There's something in English on the bottom, but it's too dusty to read..." Marie said, looking down at it. The door opposite shut loudly behind them, causing everyone to look back. Then, black balls of energy formed and started to take shape.

"Emily...What are those?" Galileo asked, nervous. Emily pulled out the book and started to read.

"Soulless, the undead servants of King Cole who hunger for flesh. After Cole was sealed in the thousand-year seal, some of his servants remained, made to eternally guard the weapons and wait for their emperor to rise again..." Emily shut the book, and then grabbed her sword. Everyone else took a battle stance, preparing to fight.

The ball of shadow started to shine, and an arm reached out, along with an arm, leg, and head. It stared at the group, and then roared.

"Marie, stay close to me." Phantom R said, drawing the dragon sword. She nodded, and backed behind Phantom R. Angel pulled out her bow, and started notching arrows. The ball of shadow split into multiple soulless, before disappearing.

"Come on, then. Let's see what you all are made of!" Charlie said, kicking her soccer ball.

**Battle Diabolique (Rhythm Thief)**

"Try to stay wary. We don't have a clue of what we're up against." Emily said, drawing her sword.

"Wary, smary! If they want to eat something, eat an arrow!" Angel yelled, firing a barrage of arrows. On contact with them, a group of soulless promptly exploded. Angel fist pumped the air, before Galileo tapped her on the back.

"Um...Angel, there's more..." Galileo said, pointing at the rest. Angel grabbed some throwing knives, and then sent them flying... Emily simply used her sword as a propeller and charging forward, slashing them into pieces.

Eventually, all the soulless were defeated, leaving the group alone. The door on the far side opened, trapping the group inside.

**End**

"So..." Leo said, looking at the shut door behind them.

"Onward we'll go." Charlie said, walking through the door.

* * *

The group wandered through, until they reached a pit in the center of the hallway.

"Well, we definitely can't jump over this. I can barely see the other end." Angel said, eyes narrowing as she looked over the edge.

"Well, there has to be one way over..." Charlie said, folding her arms.

"Hey, there're some vines up there!" Galileo said, pointing at the ceiling where some vines were hanging from. Emily stared at them, folding her arms.

"Those vines are up there for a reason..." Emily said, eyes narrowing. She then turned to the wall, where a green music note was carved. She then turned to Marie.

"Marie, why don't you try playing your violin? After all, music is your specialty." Emily said, folding her arms. Marie nodded, and started to play a soft melody.

The music note then glowed, and the vines started to sway. They stretched down and entwined, creating a bridge.

"Well, it looks safe enough." Emily said, tapping her foot on the bridge. She then walked over through a hallway, with everyone else following.

Soon the group made it over to a large room. It was full of flowers on blossom and trees, ripe with fruit. A green haired woman had her back turned to them. She was humming, floating and caring for the seemingly endless valley of flowers.

"Hello!" The lady yelled, turning towards them. Her eyes were the same green of her hair, and she wore a long, green robe. The one noticeable trait about her was the Tiamat mark stamped on her forehead; however, instead of the golden mark on Raphael's hand, it was a dark black.

"Um...Hi?" Phantom R asked, staring at her.

"You must be looking for the grass strings?" The lady asked, smiling. Emily nodded at Marie.

"That's the weapon that's sealed here." Emily said, pulling out the book. Marie stepped forward, staring at the woman.

"Yes, I am."

The lady smiled again. "The door is right over there."

Everyone turned, where a large door was. It had the mark of Tiamat stamped on it, along with a flower symbol. Under it was a small imprint of a hand. Marie walked toward it, and the Tiamat mark glowed on the door.

_Only the dragon heart may enter. _A voice said. Marie took a deep breath, stepped forward, and then put her hand on the imprint.

The door glowed, and then opened. Marie gave one last look at the group, and then walked inside.

"Please, relax. The journey is hard both in the past and future." The lady said, pulling out a blue spotted fruit. "Please, call me Melantha."

* * *

**Gaia Gate (Sonic Unleashed)**

The room was dark, except a green glow that surrounded an altar in the center. Marie walked forward, and saw another hand print. She walked toward it, and looked up.

A statue of a woman in a flowing gown was placed next to the altar, in her hand a small flower. Then, her eyes glowed.

_Are you the dragon heart?_

Marie flinched. _Did I just imagine that or..._

_Answer me, child._

Marie gasped. "Y-Yes."

_Then put your hand out and accept your fate, as the one who unites the heroes through love and hate._

Marie nodded, and put her hand out on the altar. A green glow enveloped her, a searing pain on her hand. Soon the glow disappeared, leaving a mark of Tiamat on the back of her hand and a green flower in her palm.

The altar then split open, revealing a treasure chest. Marie pulled it open, and gasped.

In the chest were four leaf green strings and they glowed when she touched them. Below them were a few pages of the book, wound tightly together.

_Take your weapon and go, child. Your friends are in danger. _Then the glow in the statues eyes started to disappear.

"Wait! What danger?" Marie asked. Then the statue moved its hand toward something. When she saw it, Marie gasped.

It was a half decayed skeleton. But what made her gasp was what it held in its hand.

It was the fruit that Melantha had, with a bite taken out of it.

* * *

"All these flowers...How could you plant so much?" Galileo said, staring at the endless valley.

"I've had many visitors come and go here." Melantha said, smiling. She then held out a fruit. "Would you like some?"

"What kind of fruit is that?" Galileo asked, holding it.

"Don't worry about it. They say its taste is to die for." Melantha said, smirking.

"Galileo! Don't eat that!" Marie called, slapping the fruit out of Galileo's hand.

"Marie, you're back...Wait, why?"

Melantha's eyes narrowed into slits. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. Eat the fruit, Galileo. _Eat it." _Melantha said, eyes turning dangerous.

"Um...Melantha, do your eyes normally turn snake like?" Galileo asked, backing away with Marie.

"I see _Marguerite _told you the secret of the fruit, yes? It won't matter, for you have unleashed the power of Melantha, the guardian of the grass temple!" Melantha said, starting to levitate.

"Marie, run!" Galileo said, sprinting with Marie as Melantha's eyes started to glow red.

**Fraaz Theme (Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks)**

"Phantom R!" Marie said, running next to Galileo. The rest of the group got to their feet immediately grabbing their weapons.

"Fools! You think you can survive the wrath of ME?!" Melantha said, raising a ball of green energy up in her hand. Then the ground started to shake.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Angel asked, trying to keep her balance.

Then, giant roses sprouted from the ground. The vines were covered in thorns and they slowly created a cage around the group.

"Would you like to know how I managed to obtain all these flowers, Galileo?" Melantha asked, eyes narrowed.

"No...Not really!" Galileo said, backing away.

"Well, they're the graves of all the fakes who dare to trespass on my sacred ground. Soon you all will join them! STORM OF THORNS!"

The thorns removed themselves from the vines, and charged toward the group.

In desperation, Marie started to play her violin. Then, the thorns stopped.

"Huh?" Marie asked, and she stopped playing. The thorns fell to the ground, harmless.

"So, you can use your powers. Pity it won't stop your fate." Melantha said, lips curling up into an evil smile.

"Well, if we've done it before, we can do it again!" Charlie said, kicking her soccer ball at Melantha.

"Insolence! You fools have lived too long!" Then, Melantha started to glow.

"Phantom R! We need to finish that thing!" Emily said, as the petals from flowers started to surround Melantha in a storm.

"Dragon sword!" Phantom R yelled, the sword appearing in his hand. Melantha then stopped, staring at the sword in shock.

"I have been waiting a long time for this." She said, and then she was enveloped in a large glow. When she reappeared, she looked like an older, more serene version of Marie. The main difference was the mark of Tiamat stamped on her right eye.

"Who are you?" Marie asked, staring at the woman.

"I am Marguerite, the original dragon heart and oracle of seasons. I take my form of Melantha to protect the grass strings from evil. Many have tried to take them and have failed." Marguerite said, quiet.

"So...You're the original grass hero from long ago?" Galileo asked.

"I am her spirit. Along with the other heroes, I follow my weapon and assist my reincarnations." Marguerite said.

"If you're an oracle, you know past and future, right?" Emily asked.

"Indeed. You all may ask one question." Marguerite said, waiting.

The group huddled together, deciding what question to ask. Then Phantom R turned.

"Who are the three missing heroes?" Phantom R asked.

"You can't ask what you already know." Marguerite said, staring at Phantom R.

"Wait...I do know?" Phantom R asked, confused.

"You and your father have the power to sense heroes. You need to look deep inside yourself." Marguerite said. Then, her eyes started to glow. "I will unlock your ability." She pressed her hand on Phantom R's forehead, and then spoke.

_Five things is what you shall see,_

_Relating to one of the mystery heroes, out of the three._

_The first is their ancestor from the great legend, _

_The second is their holy weapon,_

_The third is a shadow of their figure,_

_The fourth is one distinct feature._

_The fifth and final is the place where you two will meet, _

_Now with these clues, you must succeed._

Phantom R took a deep breath and focused, closing his eyes. Then, he opened his eyes. He was in a pitch black room, and he walked forward, seeing a light at the end of it.

Then he saw a woman. She was wrapped tightly in a white cloak, with eyes blood red. She stared at him, and then faded away.

Phantom R then saw two pink orbs flying near him. Time started to slow as they flew by, revealing that they were two pink fans with the Tiamat symbol stamped on them.

Then he saw a shadow. The shadow was a girl, with two ponytails sticking out from both sides of her head. The shadow seemed to wear a dress of sorts. Before he could blink, the shadow disappeared. Then he was staring into a girl's eyes. However, they were different. They were blood red, but they were full of curiosity. Then, they disappeared. The last thing Phantom R saw a large mansion, and then his eyes opened and Marguerite was gone.

"She's gone." Leo said, folding his arms.

The map in Emily's hands started to glow, and Emily opened it.

"We have to go. The next key has just made its appearance." Emily said.

**END CHAPTER 6**

**Here's a sneak peek of the next chapter!**

"**So, where's the next key?" Raphael asked, sitting down.**

"**I hope you're ready for tea, because we're going to jolly old England." Angel said, smirking.**

**Emily nodded. "This next key is located in the London area. We'd best keep our eyes peeled, because Napoleon and his group are already there, though they haven't found the crown yet."**

"**Can we go sightseeing?" Marie asked, eyes pleading. Angel looked back at Emily, who shrugged.**

"**It certainly wouldn't hurt."**

**Don't forget to read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Go For The Goal! Part 1

**A/N: Yeah, I'm going to drop Mark's accent for the rest of the ark. It makes things easier. Lightning temple is still available….So, this is the chapter where the 'Cesare' gets introduced. **

**IMPORTANT: There may be a small hiatus after this chapter due to some life stuff, as I won't update for a while. But I'll be back.**

** Now, for reviews:**

**Jazminewriter: THANKS! Here it is!**

**Justrockzyxxx: THANKS! Thank you!**

**Guestt: THANKS! All the weapons have equal power, but terrain and even time of day can affect their abilities. What's so bad about the Seikan Sword? **

**StrikerDaisy: THANKS! Since I'm SO original. Don't worry, he'll eventually talk to her…But then new character number one pops in. **

**Deepdark-scary: THANKS! I thought she was more like Maribelle. Gaius was one of my favorite characters. And he'll make an appearance. Later.**

**CHAPTER 8**

"Well, here's the registration booth. While you guys go and get registered, I'll go see if I can find some soccer gear for all of us." Emily said, walking off.

"Hopefully this is like those competitions my team enters; If it is, then this should be easy enough." Charlie said, walking toward the registration booth. A woman sat in it, silently reading a newspaper.

"We're here to register for the soccer tournament?" Charlie asked, looking up at the lady.

"What's your team name?" The lady asked, taking out a pen and waiting.

"The Rhythm Thieves." Raphael said, and then Charlie glared at him.

"What?" Raphael asked, innocent. The woman ignored them, and finished writing.

"How many people are on your team? You need a minimum of five and a maximum of ten." The lady said, staring at the six.

"Seven." If the lady noticed there were only six people, she didn't let on.

"Also, one of your members needs to be the coach. They won't participate on the field, but will make sure all team members are accounted for and act as a referee." The lady said.

"That would be me." Emily said, walking back to the booth. The lady gave her a pack of information and pointed to a nearby cafe.

"The introductory party is in there. You'll get your schedule and meet some of the other teams there. The field and hotel you'll be staying out is behind the cafe. Good luck, as you'll need it." The lady said, waving at the team.

The group walked toward the cafe, which was full of assorted people. Emily led the way to a round table, where the group sat down. Marth and Mark walked over, each wearing a red, white, and blue uniform.

"'Ello, mates. Best of luck during the competition." Mark said, smiling. Marth simply folded her arms, blue eyes narrowing.

"You're going to need it." She replied, before stalking off. Mark sighed.

"Sorry about Marth...She just needs to warm up to you guys. Later." Mark said, waving as he went back to his team.

"Well, there are only eight other teams besides Mark's and ours." Emily said, sitting back down. "From what I've seen, there isn't anyone who's serious about the competition. Hopefully we won't have too much trouble...Speaking of that, I need to make sure our roster hasn't been changed. I'll be back soon enough." Emily said, walking out.

Angel sighed. "I should probably join the lunch line, or else we'll never get any food."

"I'll go with you. I'd like to meet some meet some of our competitors." Raphael said, adjusting his glasses. Marie stood up, and followed Raphael and Angel.

"Wait for me!" Galileo cried, following the three.

"Give me a shout if you need anything." Angel said, walking off with Galileo, Marie, and Raphael.

"Well, Angel, Galileo, and Emily will be gone for a while. Do you want to see the other teams?" Charlie asked.

"Not really. I was hoping I could spend more time with you..." Leo said, leaning forward and kissing Charlie on the cheek.

"Hello there." A voice said, causing a pink flash to cover both Charlie's and Leo's faces. A youth stood behind them, smiling.

Her hair was a dark brown, and he wore a black coat similar to Charlie's. She had the same height and built as her, and had a soccer ball under her arm. A hat shaded the topmost half of her face.

"Hello." Charlie said, staring at the youth.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm Charles, the coach of team Inverse." At the team name, he took off his hat, revealing his eyes.

His left eye was blue, and right eye was red. However, they showed a striking resemblance to Charlie's own.

"I'm Charlie, and this is Leo." Charlie said, nodding.

"Charlie...A common name. Normally extended into another name." Charles said, smiling.

"But the name Vergier...That's not a common name, now is it?"

Charlie's eye narrowed. How do you know my name?"

"One Vergier knows another. Has it been that long, cousin?" Charles said, laughing and walking off.

"Do you know him?" Leo asked.

"He does look a bit familiar, and I do have relatives that live in the area... "Charlie said, thinking deeply.

"Funny to see you here, Charlotte." J.F said, smiling evilly. Isaac stood behind him, his sheathed scythe in hand.

"J.F!" Charlie said, standing up. Leo stood up next to her, green eyes glaring.

"So, it seems you two are alone. How sweet!" J.F said, smiling evilly.

"You entered the competition to try to get the key, didn't you?" Leo said, glaring.

"_No_, I simply wanted to enjoy the scenery." J.F said, sarcastic.

"You just wait, Jean-François. Soon my father and I will put you in jail for good." Charlie said, standing next to Leo.

"I wouldn't be so sure, _Charlotte. _ After all, it would be a shame if you had a little..._Accident." _J.F said, eye narrowing. He nodded at Isaac, who slowly took out his scythe...

"Don't trifle with me, girl. I could easily end your life here if I wanted." J.F whispered evil.

Leo glared at him. "You would have to kill me first."

"Don't try to be a hero, boy. It would be easier to kill you and your brother as well." J.F said, laughing.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." Emily said, folding her arms, frowning. Her sword was on her back, and her eyes were narrowed into slits.

"Why, hello there Emily. Isaac and I were just..._Conversing _with Charlie and Leo..."

"Enough of your talk, Jean François. I heard you threatening Charlie and Leo." She then stared deeply into J.F's eye.

"Heed my warning. You threaten my frie-_family_, you threaten me. And you do _not _want to threaten me." She said, giving him and ice-cold glare.

J.F looked at Isaac for support, but he shrugged. Angel was approaching with Galileo, Marie, and Raphael, and she looked annoyed.

"Best of luck in the competition!" J.F said, giving a last smile before leaving.

Emily turned to Charlie and Leo, thinking deeply.

"Did he hurt either of you?" Emily asked, looking over both of them.

"No...He just threatened us." Leo said, looking down. Charlie had been gripping his hand tightly, not saying anything.

Angel walked back, holding a tray of food along with Galileo, Marie, and Raphael. She looked back at J.F's retreating figure and frowning.

"J.F is up to something. I don't trust him for a second." Angel said, frowning. She then set the food down, passing it around.

"Well, our first match doesn't start until later. After this, we should get some training in and assign positions. Then we can rest up for a bit. Any questions?"

* * *

"Here we are. The training area." Emily said, folding her arms. She'd changed into a T-shirt with a purple seven on it, along with purple shorts. Everyone's uniform was color- coded, to make things easier.

Only two other teams were in the field; Mark and Marth's team, (Named team Falcon), and Charles with team Inverse. Charles saw the group approaching, and called his team over.

"Hello. Meet my team." Charles said, introducing the people next to him.

Along with Charles, the team consisted of seven people, each somewhat mirroring a member of Raphael's group.

"There's me, Angela, Emma, Rafel, Leonard, Galieo, and Maria." Charles said, introducing the other six.

The other members were silent, but they all shared one trait: They had deep red eyes.

Emma had yellow hair yellow eyes, but had the same figure as Emily. The two stared at each other, not saying anything. Angela had blue hair and orange eyes, causing Angel to mentally shudder.

Leo and Galileo eyed Leonard and Galieo. Leonard and Galieo had white hair and white suits, with matching hats. Rafel's hair was a deep black along with his suit, giving him a similar look to the Donatello's. Maria's hair was a deep violet and her eyes a soulless orange.

"Sorry, but they don't talk much. They're pretty good players, though." Charles said, grinning.

"Ok..." Charlie said, walking off with everyone else following.

"Those guys are creepy." Galileo said, shuddering.

"No kidding. Not to mention how they have some 'similarities' to us." Leo agreed, folding his arms and thinking.

"This can't be a coincidence." Emily said, eyes narrowing.

"You think J.F has something to do with it?" Charlie asked, looking at Emily.

"It would explain some things." Emily said, thinking.

"So, what do we do now?" Raphael asked.

"Our match isn't for another hour. You guys can explore the grounds if you want." Angel said, smirking. "I'm getting something to eat."

"Well, I'm getting some practice on the field. I'll call if J.F tries something." Charlie said, walking off.

"Leo, you should probably follow her. Normally I'd go, but Em and I are going to see if J.F or Isaac tries something." Angel said, arms folded.

Leo nodded, and then walked after her.

* * *

Charlie kicked the soccer ball back and forth from. She was silent until she heard footsteps behind her.

"Oh. Hello, Charlie." Mark said, holding a soccer ball under his shoulder as well.

"Is that Marth with you?" Charlie asked, not looking at him.

"No. She went off somewhere else." Mark said, looking away. Charlie scoffed and went back to practicing.

"Would ya like to have a quick match?" Mark asked, throwing up his ball. Charlie nodded, putting her own ball in front of her. Mark smiled, just about to rush for the ball when...

"Hello. Is this match private or public?" A voice asked, causing the two to turn. Charles looked at the two, smiling.

"It's public...You can join if ya want." Mark said, spinning the soccer ball with his foot. Charles's smile turned into a wide smirk.

_He has a smirk like Angel's...He has something planned... _Charlie thought, eyes narrowed.

"How 'er we supposed to have a three-man game if there're only two goals?" Mark asked, confused.

"How about a two-on-one match? It would certainly make things more..._Interesting._" Charles said, empathizing the word 'interesting'.

"Us vs. you?" Charlie asked, eyes narrowing. Mark simply shrugged.

"Yes. Unless you'll think you'll lose..." Charles said, red eye flashing.

"Fine, then." Charlie said, backing toward the goal, with Mark following.

"You guys first." Charles said.

Charlie nodded at Mark, who waited by the goal. She then ran for the ball with Charles running for it as well. Charles kicked the ball back, and Charlie stole it from him. Charlie ran for Charles undefended goal, until she felt Charles behind her.

"Be careful. You don't need any..._Accidents_." He whispered, before he stuck his foot out in front of hers. Charlie tripped and fell to the ground, her foot taking the brunt of the fall. Mark yelled something and then ran over to her, helping her up. Charles winked at her- _Or did he? -_and then disappeared.

"Ya OK, Charlie?" Mark said, helping her up.

"Ow...I think I can walk." Charlie said, straining to stand on her own.

"I think your ankles twisted..." Mark said, inspecting it.

"No! It can't be! My first games in less than an hour!" Charlie said, worried.

"Well, do you know any doctors? Maybe they could fix your leg for you." Mark suggested.

"Well, Emily might work...But we'll never make it because of my leg injury..." Charlie said, thinking.

"Then I'll carry you back. You have a right to compete as well as that jerk of a cousin." Ignoring Charlie's protests, he picked her up and ran off toward the stadium.

* * *

**This is while Leo was following Charlie, by the way.**

Leo walked along the path, silently watching Charlie as she walked through the trail. While he was following her, he heard a girl humming.

_Now, who could that be?_ Leo thought, turning of the trail and following the sound. He eventually found himself in a grove, with a girls back turned to him.

_I've seen her before... _Leo thought, before tapping the girl on the back. She stopped singing abruptly and a deep red blush filled her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb- _Wait a second..._ I know you from somewhere!" Marth said, pointing at Leo.

"Remember Charlie, the girl who you dueled with yesterday?" Leo started, scratching his head.

"Yes...You're Galileo!" She said, pointing at him.

"I'm Leonardo." Leo said, deadpanning.

"Drat! I hate it when I get these things wrong! _Wait a second..._" She started, looking at him.

"Is that your catchphrase or something?" Leo asked. Marth's said stare turned into a glare.

"You're trying to make friends with me so I'll go easy on you in the competition! I can see it in your eyes!" Marth said, eyeing him.

"You can't even _see _my eyes!" Leo protested.

Marth silently thought it over for a second.

"But I know your eyes are blue."

"My eyes are _green._"

"ARRGH!" Marth yelled, startling the boy next to her.

"You're..." Leo started.

"Weird? Crazy?" Marth countered.

"...I was going to say different from yesterday..."

Marth sighed. "Sorry. Like my mother said, 'A lady must be graceful at all times. Never stutter, waver, and never ever accept failure.'"

"Seems like quite the mother- Sorry, but I HAVE to go. And so should you." Leo said, running off.

"But why?" Marth asked, running after him.

"The competition starts in five minutes. Later!" Leo said, running off. Marth followed at a slower pace.

"Thank you!" She called, just as Leo was out of earshot.

* * *

"Where are those two, anyway? Our match is in two minutes." Angel said, tying her shoelaces.

Raphael shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I'm back!" Leo said, coughing. "I just need to catch my breath..."

"Where's Charlotte? Emily asked, looking around. Mark then appeared, helping Charlie over to Emily.

"Did we make it?" Mark asked, coughing. Angel handed him a water bottle. He drank from it, calming down.

"What happened?" Galileo asked, patting Mark's back.

"Charles tripped me and caused me to sprain my ankle." Charlie said, folding her arms.

"She's right. He did it so that you'd be forced to drop out. All team members must be present unless the referee approves it." Mark said.

"Sorry, Charlie….But that can't be true." Angel said.

Charlie gave her a deep look. "Why?" She asked.

"Because he was with Isaac!" Angel said, arms folded.

"Wait. This doesn't make any sense…" Emily said, thinking deeply.

Marth ran toward Mark, and gave a look at Charlie.

"Hmmph! Is this some crude tactic to tire out my companion for an easier win?" Marth asked, quiet.

"Why you-"Charlie started, before Emily put a hand on her shoulder.

"We can chat later. First, we have a qualifier to win. "

**END CHAPTER 8**

**Here's a sneak peek of the next chapter!**

"**Quite a few other teams are dropping out…And not for good reasons, either." Emily said, thinking deeply.**

"**What do you mean?" Galileo asked.**

"**What I mean is that I think J.F is forcing teams out so he'll have a better chance!" She finished.**

**Don't forget to read and review!**


	8. Chapter 8: Go For The Goal! Part 2

**A/N: Yeah, I'm going to drop Mark's accent for the rest of the ark. It makes things easier. Lightning temple is still available….So, this is the chapter where the 'Cesare' gets introduced. Now, for reviews:**

**Jazminewriter: THANKS! Here it is!**

**Justrockzyxxx: THANKS! Thank you!**

**Guestt: THANKS! All the weapons have equal power, but terrain and even time of day can affect their abilities. What's so bad about the Seikan Sword? **

**StrikerDaisy: THANKS! Since I'm SO original. Don't worry, he'll eventually talk to her…But then new character number one pops in. **

**Deepdark-scary: THANKS! I thought she was more like Maribelle. Gaius was one of my favorite characters. And he'll make an appearance. Later.**

**CHAPTER 8**

"Well, here's the registration booth. While you guys go and get registered, I'll go see if I can find some soccer gear for all of us." Emily said, walking off.

"Hopefully this is like those competitions my team enters; If it is, then this should be easy enough." Charlie said, walking toward the registration booth. A woman sat in it, silently reading a newspaper.

"We're here to register for the soccer tournament?" Charlie asked, looking up at the lady.

"What's your team name?" The lady asked, taking out a pen and waiting.

"The Rhythm Thieves." Raphael said, and then Charlie glared at him.

"What?" Raphael asked, innocent. The woman ignored them, and finished writing.

"How many people are on your team? You need a minimum of five and a maximum of ten." The lady said, staring at the six.

"Seven." If the lady noticed there were only six people, she didn't let on.

"Also, one of your members needs to be the coach. They won't participate on the field, but will make sure all team members are accounted for and act as a referee." The lady said.

"That would be me." Emily said, walking back to the booth. The lady gave her a pack of information and pointed to a nearby cafe.

"The introductory party is in there. You'll get your schedule and meet some of the other teams there. The field and hotel you'll be staying out is behind the cafe. Good luck, as you'll need it." The lady said, waving at the team.

The group walked toward the cafe, which was full of assorted people. Emily led the way to a round table, where the group sat down. Marth and Mark walked over, each wearing a red, white, and blue uniform.

"'Ello, mates. Best of luck during the competition." Mark said, smiling. Marth simply folded her arms, blue eyes narrowing.

"You're going to need it." She replied, before stalking off. Mark sighed.

"Sorry about Marth...She just needs to warm up to you guys. Later." Mark said, waving as he went back to his team.

"Well, there are only eight other teams besides Mark's and ours." Emily said, sitting back down. "From what I've seen, there isn't anyone who's serious about the competition. Hopefully we won't have too much trouble...Speaking of that, I need to make sure our roster hasn't been changed. I'll be back soon enough." Emily said, walking out.

Angel sighed. "I should probably join the lunch line, or else we'll never get any food."

"I'll go with you. I'd like to meet some meet some of our competitors." Raphael said, adjusting his glasses. Marie stood up, and followed Raphael and Angel.

"Wait for me!" Galileo cried, following the three.

"Give me a shout if you need anything." Angel said, walking off with Galileo, Marie, and Raphael.

"Well, Angel, Galileo, and Emily will be gone for a while. Do you want to see the other teams?" Charlie asked.

"Not really. I was hoping I could spend more time with you..." Leo said, leaning forward and kissing Charlie on the cheek.

"Hello there." A voice said, causing a pink flash to cover both Charlie's and Leo's faces. A youth stood behind them, smiling.

Her hair was a dark brown, and he wore a black coat similar to Charlie's. She had the same height and built as her, and had a soccer ball under her arm. A hat shaded the topmost half of her face.

"Hello." Charlie said, staring at the youth.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm Charles, the coach of team Inverse." At the team name, he took off his hat, revealing his eyes.

His left eye was blue, and right eye was red. However, they showed a striking resemblance to Charlie's own.

"I'm Charlie, and this is Leo." Charlie said, nodding.

"Charlie...A common name. Normally extended into another name." Charles said, smiling.

"But the name Vergier...That's not a common name, now is it?"

Charlie's eye narrowed. How do you know my name?"

"One Vergier knows another. Has it been that long, cousin?" Charles said, laughing and walking off.

"Do you know him?" Leo asked.

"He does look a bit familiar, and I do have relatives that live in the area... "Charlie said, thinking deeply.

"Funny to see you here, Charlotte." J.F said, smiling evilly. Isaac stood behind him, his sheathed scythe in hand.

"J.F!" Charlie said, standing up. Leo stood up next to her, green eyes glaring.

"So, it seems you two are alone. How sweet!" J.F said, smiling evilly.

"You entered the competition to try to get the key, didn't you?" Leo said, glaring.

"_No_, I simply wanted to enjoy the scenery." J.F said, sarcastic.

"You just wait, Jean-François. Soon my father and I will put you in jail for good." Charlie said, standing next to Leo.

"I wouldn't be so sure, _Charlotte. _ After all, it would be a shame if you had a little..._Accident." _J.F said, eye narrowing. He nodded at Isaac, who slowly took out his scythe...

"Don't trifle with me, girl. I could easily end your life here if I wanted." J.F whispered evil.

Leo glared at him. "You would have to kill me first."

"Don't try to be a hero, boy. It would be easier to kill you and your brother as well." J.F said, laughing.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." Emily said, folding her arms, frowning. Her sword was on her back, and her eyes were narrowed into slits.

"Why, hello there Emily. Isaac and I were just..._Conversing _with Charlie and Leo..."

"Enough of your talk, Jean François. I heard you threatening Charlie and Leo." She then stared deeply into J.F's eye.

"Heed my warning. You threaten my frie-_family_, you threaten me. And you do _not _want to threaten me." She said, giving him and ice-cold glare.

J.F looked at Isaac for support, but he shrugged. Angel was approaching with Galileo, Marie, and Raphael, and she looked annoyed.

"Best of luck in the competition!" J.F said, giving a last smile before leaving.

Emily turned to Charlie and Leo, thinking deeply.

"Did he hurt either of you?" Emily asked, looking over both of them.

"No...He just threatened us." Leo said, looking down. Charlie had been gripping his hand tightly, not saying anything.

Angel walked back, holding a tray of food along with Galileo, Marie, and Raphael. She looked back at J.F's retreating figure and frowning.

"J.F is up to something. I don't trust him for a second." Angel said, frowning. She then set the food down, passing it around.

"Well, our first match doesn't start until later. After this, we should get some training in and assign positions. Then we can rest up for a bit. Any questions?"

* * *

"Here we are. The training area." Emily said, folding her arms. She'd changed into a T-shirt with a purple seven on it, along with purple shorts. Everyone's uniform was color- coded, to make things easier.

Only two other teams were in the field; Mark and Marth's team, (Named team Falcon), and Charles with team Inverse. Charles saw the group approaching, and called his team over.

"Hello. Meet my team." Charles said, introducing the people next to him.

Along with Charles, the team consisted of seven people, each somewhat mirroring a member of Raphael's group.

"There's me, Angela, Emma, Rafel, Leonard, Galieo, and Maria." Charles said, introducing the other six.

The other members were silent, but they all shared one trait: They had deep red eyes.

Emma had yellow hair yellow eyes, but had the same figure as Emily. The two stared at each other, not saying anything. Angela had blue hair and orange eyes, causing Angel to mentally shudder.

Leo and Galileo eyed Leonard and Galieo. Leonard and Galieo had white hair and white suits, with matching hats. Rafel's hair was a deep black along with his suit, giving him a similar look to the Donatello's. Maria's hair was a deep violet and her eyes a soulless orange.

"Sorry, but they don't talk much. They're pretty good players, though." Charles said, grinning.

"Ok..." Charlie said, walking off with everyone else following.

"Those guys are creepy." Galileo said, shuddering.

"No kidding. Not to mention how they have some 'similarities' to us." Leo agreed, folding his arms and thinking.

"This can't be a coincidence." Emily said, eyes narrowing.

"You think J.F has something to do with it?" Charlie asked, looking at Emily.

"It would explain some things." Emily said, thinking.

"So, what do we do now?" Raphael asked.

"Our match isn't for another hour. You guys can explore the grounds if you want." Angel said, smirking. "I'm getting something to eat."

"Well, I'm getting some practice on the field. I'll call if J.F tries something." Charlie said, walking off.

"Leo, you should probably follow her. Normally I'd go, but Em and I are going to see if J.F or Isaac tries something." Angel said, arms folded.

Leo nodded, and then walked after her.

* * *

Charlie kicked the soccer ball back and forth from. She was silent until she heard footsteps behind her.

"Oh. Hello, Charlie." Mark said, holding a soccer ball under his shoulder as well.

"Is that Marth with you?" Charlie asked, not looking at him.

"No. She went off somewhere else." Mark said, looking away. Charlie scoffed and went back to practicing.

"Would ya like to have a quick match?" Mark asked, throwing up his ball. Charlie nodded, putting her own ball in front of her. Mark smiled, just about to rush for the ball when...

"Hello. Is this match private or public?" A voice asked, causing the two to turn. Charles looked at the two, smiling.

"It's public...You can join if ya want." Mark said, spinning the soccer ball with his foot. Charles's smile turned into a wide smirk.

_He has a smirk like Angel's...He has something planned... _Charlie thought, eyes narrowed.

"How 'er we supposed to have a three-man game if there're only two goals?" Mark asked, confused.

"How about a two-on-one match? It would certainly make things more..._Interesting._" Charles said, empathizing the word 'interesting'.

"Us vs. you?" Charlie asked, eyes narrowing. Mark simply shrugged.

"Yes. Unless you'll think you'll lose..." Charles said, red eye flashing.

"Fine, then." Charlie said, backing toward the goal, with Mark following.

"You guys first." Charles said.

Charlie nodded at Mark, who waited by the goal. She then ran for the ball with Charles running for it as well. Charles kicked the ball back, and Charlie stole it from him. Charlie ran for Charles undefended goal, until she felt Charles behind her.

"Be careful. You don't need any..._Accidents_." He whispered, before he stuck his foot out in front of hers. Charlie tripped and fell to the ground, her foot taking the brunt of the fall. Mark yelled something and then ran over to her, helping her up. Charles winked at her- _Or did he? -_and then disappeared.

"Ya OK, Charlie?" Mark said, helping her up.

"Ow...I think I can walk." Charlie said, straining to stand on her own.

"I think your ankles twisted..." Mark said, inspecting it.

"No! It can't be! My first games in less than an hour!" Charlie said, worried.

"Well, do you know any doctors? Maybe they could fix your leg for you." Mark suggested.

"Well, Emily might work...But we'll never make it because of my leg injury..." Charlie said, thinking.

"Then I'll carry you back. You have a right to compete as well as that jerk of a cousin." Ignoring Charlie's protests, he picked her up and ran off toward the stadium.

* * *

**This is while Leo was following Charlie, by the way.**

Leo walked along the path, silently watching Charlie as she walked through the trail. While he was following her, he heard a girl humming.

_Now, who could that be?_ Leo thought, turning of the trail and following the sound. He eventually found himself in a grove, with a girls back turned to him.

_I've seen her before... _Leo thought, before tapping the girl on the back. She stopped singing abruptly and a deep red blush filled her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb- _Wait a second..._ I know you from somewhere!" Marth said, pointing at Leo.

"Remember Charlie, the girl who you dueled with yesterday?" Leo started, scratching his head.

"Yes...You're Galileo!" She said, pointing at him.

"I'm Leonardo." Leo said, deadpanning.

"Drat! I hate it when I get these things wrong! _Wait a second..._" She started, looking at him.

"Is that your catchphrase or something?" Leo asked. Marth's said stare turned into a glare.

"You're trying to make friends with me so I'll go easy on you in the competition! I can see it in your eyes!" Marth said, eyeing him.

"You can't even _see _my eyes!" Leo protested.

Marth silently thought it over for a second.

"But I know your eyes are blue."

"My eyes are _green._"

"ARRGH!" Marth yelled, startling the boy next to her.

"You're..." Leo started.

"Weird? Crazy?" Marth countered.

"...I was going to say different from yesterday..."

Marth sighed. "Sorry. Like my mother said, 'A lady must be graceful at all times. Never stutter, waver, and never ever accept failure.'"

"Seems like quite the mother- Sorry, but I HAVE to go. And so should you." Leo said, running off.

"But why?" Marth asked, running after him.

"The competition starts in five minutes. Later!" Leo said, running off. Marth followed at a slower pace.

"Thank you!" She called, just as Leo was out of earshot.

* * *

"Where are those two, anyway? Our match is in two minutes." Angel said, tying her shoelaces.

Raphael shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I'm back!" Leo said, coughing. "I just need to catch my breath..."

"Where's Charlotte? Emily asked, looking around. Mark then appeared, helping Charlie over to Emily.

"Did we make it?" Mark asked, coughing. Angel handed him a water bottle. He drank from it, calming down.

"What happened?" Galileo asked, patting Mark's back.

"Charles tripped me and caused me to sprain my ankle." Charlie said, folding her arms.

"She's right. He did it so that you'd be forced to drop out. All team members must be present unless the referee approves it." Mark said.

"Sorry, Charlie….But that can't be true." Angel said.

Charlie gave her a deep look. "Why?" She asked.

"Because he was with Isaac!" Angel said, arms folded.

"Wait. This doesn't make any sense…" Emily said, thinking deeply.

Marth ran toward Mark, and gave a look at Charlie.

"Hmmph! Is this some crude tactic to tire out my companion for an easier win?" Marth asked, quiet.

"Why you-"Charlie started, before Emily put a hand on her shoulder.

"We can chat later. First, we have a qualifier to win. "

**END CHAPTER 8**

**Here's a sneak peek of the next chapter!**

"**Quite a few other teams are dropping out…And not for good reasons, either." Emily said, thinking deeply.**

"**What do you mean?" Galileo asked.**

"**What I mean is that I think J.F is forcing teams out so he'll have a better chance!" She finished.**

**Don't forget to read and review!**


	9. Chapter 9: Go For The Goal! Part 3

**Huh. I actually updated earlier than I thought. So much for that 'hiatus' I thought I was going to have. Now for the reviews:**

**Jazminewriter: THANKS! Yes, that's how I meant for it to work.**

**Lady Phantom R: THANKS! I love it too!**

**StrikerDaisy: THANKS! Yes, I did go there with the Falcons. And Charlie's not out of the competition…Yet.**

**Guestt: THANKS! Well, it has its advantages that make it worth it. And I fixed the Charles thing, (He's a guy.) Yes, Gaius is AWESOME.**

**Justrockzyxxx: THANKS! I hope it is!**

**CHAPTER 9**

"This is your master of ceremonies, Henry Watson. We're here for the thirty-first annual London soccer competition!"

"And I'm your co-host, Sean Baker! Henry, we have a lot of teams here today. What do you think about this event?"

"Well, it's going to be big, that's for sure. These teams aren't in it for the money...They're in it for the show!" Henry said, fist pumping the air.

"Well, who's up first?"

"It looks like we have The Rhythm Thieves versus the Spider Slammers! It's the first game of the day, so it'll start to pump up everyone else. Let's go to a commercial break, shall we?

* * *

"Charlotte, can you walk?" Emily asked, inspecting her ankle.

"I can, but it's a bit sore..." Charlie started, wincing.

"Well, it's only a minor bruise, but if you play excessively then it could get worse... Raphael, switch positions with Charlie. You're up first." Emily said, folding her arms.

Raphael nodded, and everyone else followed. Mark sat by the bleachers, with Marth next to him.

"We wish you luck!" He said, smiling.

"You mean _you _wish him luck." Marth replied, looking away. However, she winked at Leo as he passed by. Leo winked back at her, causing Charlie to turn a bit red.

"Charlie, are you...Ok? Galileo asked, tapping her on the back.

"I'M FINE!" Charlie yelled, causing Galileo to hide behind Angel.

"O-K..." Angel said, backing away toward the field, with Galileo following her.

Charlie then sighed, and Marie patted her on the back.

"Don't worry, Charlie. I'm sure you can trust Raphael as the lead." She said, smiling. Charlie sighed, but then made a small smile.

"I hope I can. I want to see the look on Marth's dace when we beat her." Charlie said, smirking.

"Come on, guys! The match is starting in a minute!"

* * *

"Wow! Sean, was that an amazing play by the Rhythm Thieves or what?"

"There's no use trying to hide that kind of talent, Henry! These guys are going for the gold and nothing's going to hold them back!"

"Hopefully our next match will be like that! It's the Devil Knights versus the King- Wait a minute, new information says the King's hearts have dropped out, and the Devil Knights win by default!"

"Well, sometimes that's the way things are, Henry. Now, onto the next in the line up!"

* * *

"Did you hear that?!" Charlie cried, annoyed. The group had been sitting in the stadiums rec room by themselves and had been watching the tournament matches.

"Yes, Charlotte, we did. Probably a lucky break for them." Emily said, sitting quietly.

"Oh well. At least we won that round fair and square." Angel said, sitting back.

"What's the matter, Charlotte? Upset you didn't get to star in the game today?" Charles asked, walking up to Charlie, smirking. His team stood behind him, silently eyeing their counterparts. Charlie glared at him.

"Funny you're the one who asks about it when YOU caused it!" Charlie retorted, getting angry.

"Me? Hurt my sweet cousin? Perish the thought!" Charles said, his red eye glinting. Charlie simply huffed and turned away, annoyed.

"She's right, you know. I saw it." Mark said, folding his arm. Marth stood next to him, silent.

"You know that's an automatic disqualification, right?" Emily said, purple eyes narrowing.

"Not unless the team members are taken in by a team that's lacking in players." J.F said, causing everyone to turn toward him.

"Last time I checked, you had a full team. Unless you got _terrible _injuries from playing today." Angel said, rolling her eyes. J.F's eye twitched for a second, but he then smiled.

"Yes, it was an unfortunate accident. Only Isaac is well enough to play, which leaves me six players short. Now, since Team Inverse is getting disqualified, I _could _take some of their players and split the prize with them..." J.F said, staring at Charles.

Charles thought for a second, and then smirked.

"Fine, then. Pick your players." He said, leaning back. J.F smirked, and whispered something.

"Wait a minute. If you do that, than that means I'll be sitting on sidelines for the whole competition!" Charles protested.

J.F simply smirked. "Those are my terms. I won't accept anything less."

Charles gave him a deep glare, his red eye flashing. He then sighed.

"Fine. You can use everyone else on my team but me." The other teammates didn't say anything, but silently followed J.F.

"Serves you right for doing that." Mark said, smirking. Charles gave him a death glare, causing Mark to turn away to Charlie.

"So, is your leg doing any better?" Mark asked, sitting next to Charlie. Leo glared at him silently, until Marth walked up and started to chat with him.

"It's fine. It's nice to see you so KIND and LOYAL, unlike some people." Charlie said, turning away.

"Wait, are you upset at _me_?" Leo asked.

"Okay, this won't end well." Galileo said, with Angel, Marie, and Raphael, nodding in agreement.

"Figures she'd be upset at you." Marth said, twirling a blue curl. Charlie's face turned red.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Charlie said, hands balling into fists.

"Simple. Anyone so unladylike that would romp around in boy's clothes would certainly-"

"Marth, that was uncalled for." Mark said, folding his arms. "Leo, why aren't you helping out Charlie?"

"Excuse me, _British boy._" Leo spat out, glaring full force at Mark.

"Now, we don't need to start the name calling-" Angel started.

"Who are you calling British boy, Sir I'm-so-fabulous?" Mark retorted.

"Sir I'm-so-fabulous is over _there._" Leo said, pointing at Raphael.

"Hey!" Raphael retorted, standing up. "Considering you-"

"ENOUGH!" Emily yelled, startling everyone.

"I think this competition is stressing us all out. How about we take an hour long break?" Emily said the ends of her hair frizzing. Her eyes were closed, and her fists were turning white.

"I think we should listen to Emily's advice, and go. Right. Now." Angel said, ushering everyone else out.

* * *

"Now, enough fighting between you all. Save it for the diabolique. Now, please don't annoy Em anymore or else she'll explode. And this needs to stay T-rated.

"Wait, what?" Raphael asked, but Angel had run off with Galileo following her.

"Sorry about earlier, Raphael." Leo said, quiet.

"No problem, Leo. But you should apologize to Mark and Charlotte." Raphael replied, turning to Charlie and Mark.

"I'm sorry, guys." Leo said, scratching his head. Mark smiled and nodded, but Charlie just glared at him and Marth.

"I am sorry as well. My emotions should not have gotten the best of me."Marth said, quiet.

"I'm sorry about the name calling, Leo." Mark said, scratching his head.

"I'm sorry." Charlie said, arms folded.

* * *

The next days of the tournament were not that eventful, the Rhythm Thieves winning every round, with the Falcons following fearlessly. However, the Devil knights would always win by default due to a problem with the other team. Though accusations were raised, no one could prove anything. Charles had made himself scarce, along with the other members of Team Inverse. There was some tension between Charlie and Leo, as well as between Marth and Mark.

"Hey, Sean. It looks like the devil knights are versus the -" Henry started.

"Don't even bother. They dropped out." Sean said, sighing.

"Oh well. But they'd better be ready, because neither the Rhythm Thieves or the Falcons are going to back down from the challenge." Henry said, fist pumping the air.

* * *

"Again? The Devil Knights are avoiding competition like the plague." Another player muttered, walking past the group.

"He's right. Teams have been dropping out lately, and not for good reasons." Emily said, thinking deeply.

"What do you mean?" Galileo asked.

"What I mean is that I think J.F is forcing teams to drop out so he could get he could get a better chance!" Emily said, finishing.

"She has a point. I saw Isaac sneaking around late last night." Angel said, folding her arms.

"I'd like to snoop around, but there's a captains meeting this evening." Emily said, thinking.

"Well, I have to keep an eye on everyone else and sign us up, so I can't go." Angel said, folding her arms.

"Can I go?" Charlie asked, eyes pleading.

"Absolutely not. It's way too dangerous, and I promised Vergier I'd keep you safe. I owe him that much." Angel said.

"You knew Vergier before us?" Raphael asked.

"He used to be an agent like me and Em. A martial arts and pistol specialist, who was one of the most famous teachers there. And I was the worst student he ever had." Angel said, laughing.

"Wait. So you learned everything about guns and martial arts..." Leo asked.

"Yep. Be careful when you ask Charlotte on a date." Angel said, winking. Leo and Charlie glanced at each other, not speaking.

"That's it! Leo and Raphael can come with me!" Charlie said, smiling.

Angel thought deeply for a second, then sighed.

"Fine, but run for me if you get into any trouble, all right?" Angel said, ruffling the three teen's hair.

"Ok, then. Let's go." Charlie said, running off.

* * *

The trio walked through the glade, Charlie studying the surroundings intently. Leo followed quietly behind along with Raphael.

"Well, where should we look first?" Raphael asked, with Fondue following. Leo stayed at the back, avoiding all contact with Charlie.

"Well, I was thinking that we should look through the training grounds and chat with other teams. If we split up then we can cover more ground..."

"Hello,Charlie. Walking around the grounds today?" Mark asked, with Marth following.

"No. We're just looking around and were going to chat with other teams, but we don't know where they are..."

"Well, there are the Clerics and the Lords near the other courts, and the Great Knights are by the stadium."

"Well, the Great Knights are closest to the stadium, I'll head there." Charlie said, before Mark stopped her.

"They're not friendly with strangers, but they know me. I'll go with you." Mark said, following her.

"Well, Leo. I guess we can go and see if the Lords are around. Come on, then." Marth said, grabbing Leo's hand.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me, Fondue. Let's go find those Clerics Mark was talking about."

* * *

"So, what do you think about the Devil Knights, anyway?" Mark asked, walking next to Charlie. The Great Knights were wary of Charlie at first, but the only information is that they saw Isaac running of near the glade around the stadium.

-"Well, I don't think that all the other teams disappearing is just a coincidence. Something-or some_one _is behind it." Charlie said.

"I don't trust that J.F guy. It's like he's always watching you and will shove a knife in your back the second your back is turned..." Mark said, shuddering.

"No kidding. Also, he's the one with enough brains to do something like that." Charlie said, thinking.

"You know him?" Mark asked.

"Too well. It's a long story..." Charlie started. Mark just smiled at her.

"Well, you can tell it later. What are you going to do after the competition?" He asked.

Charlie sighed. "I'm probably going to leave, but I don't know where. My dad travels a lot." She said, half lying.

"Well, I hope you stay in London." Mark said, laughing.

"How do you spend so much time around Marth, anyway?" Charlie asked.

"Like I said, she just needs to get to know you. You two would be great friends."

"Friends? With _her_?" Charlie cried in disbelief.

"You didn't hear it from me, but she envies you." Mark whispered, looking around.

"But she's a rich and esteemed _lady._" Charlie said, eyes narrowing.

"She envies you because you're so free. You act like nothing and no one will stop you. She's had all her choices made for her already." Mark said, sighing.

"I'd have to see it to believe it." Charlie said, arms folded.

"Then let's go find her." Mark said, taking her hand and running forward.

* * *

"Well, the Lords didn't know anything except that they saw Isaac running into that glade we were just in." Leo said, sighing.

"That's not much to go on." Marth said, leaning against a tree. Leo sat next to her, sighing.

"I'm somewhat worried, though. What will happen if either of our teams has to go versus the Devil Knights?" Marth said, worried.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see." Leo said, leaning back.

"What are you going to do after the competition?" Marth asked.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth." He replied, combing his hair out of his eyes.

"So, what's it like?" Marth asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Leo asked.

"Being so- so _free_. How you can roam so freely, without a care in the world." Marth said.

"Well, I don't know. I'm not really free, in a sense. I do make all my decisions, but that's only because Galileo and I's parents died." He said, sighing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Marth started, nervous.

"It's nothing. It happened a long time ago. Besides, it's not like I'm alone. I have my brother, Raphael, Angel and Emily, Charlie-"

"About her. Why do you hang around her so much?" Marth asked, curious.

"She's nice. Has a hot temper, but she's nice." Leo said, sighing. "Why do you hate her so much?"

"I don't hate her...I _envy _her." Marth said, nervous.

"Why would you do that?" Leo asked, quiet.

"Well, she has so much freedom, and she's so fearless. It's like nothing and no one will stop her." Marth said, sighing.

"Well, that _is _true-" Leo started, before Marth cut her off.

"The truth is, my name is Martha, but I _hate _it. That's why I decided to shorten it to Marth. In my life, almost all of my choices have been made for me. It's like I'm a whole different person..." She said, crying into his chest.

Leo patted her head, causing her to look up at him.

"Now, there's no reason to cry..." Leo said, cuddling her.

The place was silent for a moment, until Martha looked up at her.

"Thank you, Leonardo. I wish I could repay you..." She said, leaning forward.

"Wait a minute. You don't need to repay me like th-" Leo was then cut off by Martha pushing her lips on his.

* * *

Charlie and Mark walked through the glade, until Charlie heard Leo's voice.

"There they are. Hopefully they'll know-" Charlie immediately stopped, watching Martha kissing Leo, until Leo noticed her.

"Charlie, this _is not_ what it looks-" Before he finished, she'd punched him. _Hard._

Then she ran off, her eyes turning red.

"Charlie! Wait!" Mark cried, running after her. Leo and Martha ran after him, shouting after him.

* * *

Charlie ran, not caring where she went. Her eyes were stinging, and she wasn't sure if she was going to cry or shout. After about five minutes, she sat down on a rock, a tear running down her cheek.

_I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, and I hate her! _Charlie thought, ignoring everything else.

She didn't notice the figure behind her until his shadow appeared over him, causing her to turn back and scream.

Then everything went black.

**END CHAPTER 9**

**Here's a sneak peek of the next chapter!**

**"What happened to her?!" Leo asked, staring at Charlie limp in Mark's arms.**

**"I don't know! I found her like this!" Mark said, worried.**

**Read and Review!**


	10. Chapter 10: Go For The Goal! Part 4

**A/N: Sorry about the lack of Raphael and Marie in this chapter. They get their moment later. Due to school, my update times will vary. Now, for the reviews:**

**Toonie: Thanks! I try to keep the characters as in character as possible.**

**Justrockzyxxx: Thanks! And it gets better!**

**Guestt: Thanks! Stupid autocorrect. Paralouge 23 is WORSE. MUCH, MUCH WORSE.**

**guestt: The Seikan sword is basically of jack-of-all-trades typed weapon. It can control all the elements, but not as well as their specific weapons.**

CHAPTER 10

Angel's head shot up, with worry in her eyes.

"Did you hear that?" Galileo asked, with Marie looking worried as well.

"Yes, I did. And if that's who I'm thinking it is..." Angel said, trailing off.

The three stared at each other for a second.

"Charlie!" They said in unison, then running into the glade.

* * *

"Huh? Did you hear that, Fondue?" Raphael asked, petting Fondue who started to whimper.

A burning pain filled his hand, and the Tiamat mark shone red for a second.

"Something is very wrong...Charlotte!" He said, running after the sound and switching into his Phantom R costume.

* * *

"Where is she?" Leo cried, running through the glade with Martha following him.

"Guys! Over here!" Mark called, running over to him with an unconscious Charlie in his arms. Her left leg had a large, curved cut that was bleeding.

"What happened to her?!" Leo cried, staring at Mark.

"I don't know, I found her like this!"Mark cried, worried.

"We need to get her to a hospital right now!" Leo cried, running forward.

"Wait. She'll bleed to death before we can get to the nearest hospital on foot. We need a vehicle, and we need it now!" Martha said, worried.

Leo pulled out the wallet that Emily gave him, tapping the picture for a second.

_Please work, Please work... _He thought, worried.

* * *

The watch on Emily's arm started to glow and she tapped it, ignoring the stares from the other coaches.

"Yes, Leo? Slow down, I can't understand a word you're-What?" She asked, eyes widening. "I'll send Angel and the others immediately. I'll be there as soon as possible. Stay safe." With that she hung up, and walked away while dialing the watch again.

"Emily, is there a _problem_?" J.F asked, smirking.

"Yes, there is." Emily said, (glaring) and then she walked out.

* * *

"Yes, Emily?..." Angel gasped, and then nodded. "I'll meet you there." She then hung up, and started to run faster until she reached the van.

"What happened?" Galileo asked, opening the car door for Marie.

"It's Charlotte. Apparently she's been attacked, and it doesn't look good." Angel said, eyes narrowing.

"Do they know who did it?" Marie asked, worried.

"No...But I think I know who _did_." Angel replied, gritting her teeth and scowling.

* * *

**(At the hospital)**

"Doctor, is she going to be alright?" Marie asked, worried.

The gray haired man sighed. "The muscle in her left leg has been torn. It'll heal with time, but she might not be able to walk for a while...She's also had a minor concussion."

"It's all my fault... I never should have left her..." Leo said, staring blankly at the floor.

"No it wasn't, Leo. You can't just keep blaming yourself..." Martha said, patting Leo's back.

"If anything, it's my fault. If I hadn't let you guys go by yourself...How could I have been such an IDIOT!?" Angel cried, punching the wall next to her.

"It was none of our faults. This attack was planned..." Emily said, closing her eyes and folding her arms.

"What makes you say that?" Phantom R asked.

"That cut wasn't just any old knife wound. Whoever did this was aiming for Charlie, and trying to eliminate her from the competition. All they needed was a perfect moment to strike." She finished, relaxing.

"But who?" Mark asked, and then the door opened.

"Oh, it's you guys." Charles said, sitting down. A bandage covered his right hand, and his eyes were full of boredom. "I'm going to guess something happened to my cousin?"

Mark's eyes filled with anger. "How did you know that?!" He said, angry.

"Simple. She's the only one missing." Charles replied.

"What are you doing here, then?" Leo asked, still looking at the floor.

"I scraped my arm. That, and was stalking around the glade area, with that creepy red scythe of his..."

"Wait a minute- Did you say his scythe was _red?" _Emily asked.

"Yeah. Well, part of it. He shooed me away when I tried to see more of it..."

Angel's eyes flashed red for a second, and then she laughed dryly.

"Well, is _that _enough proof for you, Emily? Because it's funny that Isaac's scythe should be red. Considering the last times we saw it was black. And maybe it was red because it was covered in BLOOD, you know?" She said, still laughing.

"Angel, are you ok?" Galileo asked, nervous.

"I'm _fine._ But Isaac won't be...Having the nerve to attack a child like that..." She said, starting to walk off.

"We'll figure out who attacked her when she wakes up. Innocent until - " Emily started, about to argue with Angel.

"Sorry to interrupt, but what do you guys plan to do during the competition?" Charles asked.

"He has a point. Without Charlie, we'll be at a huge disadvantage." Raphael said, thinking.

"We may even be disqualified. What we need to do is find another player..."

"What about me?" Charles asked, folding his arms.

"Absolutely n-" Leo started, but Emily held up a hand.

"Listen, Leo. I know you blame yourself for Charlie's injury, but it wasn't your fault. Besides, it won't do us any good to let J.F win the key. We need a new player, and we need one _now._" Emily said, patting his back.

"She has a point, brother. It's only a few more games and then it's over." Galileo said, giving his brother a small smile.

Leo smiled back. "Thanks, Gal."

Emily turned to Charles.

"We'll allow you on our team...If you can pass our tryouts, that is." She said, folding her arms.

Charles smirked. "Ok, then. I'll be ready when you are."

* * *

"I still don't like this idea..." Leo said, folding his arms. Emily and Charles were by the field and practicing. Everyone else was standing by the sidelines, (save a still unconscious Charlie)

"Well, it might be our only shot. If he makes it through the training, that is." Angel said, smirking.

"So, she's a fierce trainer?" Raphael asked.

"Well, I wouldn't call her fierce...But she'll put all your potential to work for sure." Angel said, laughing.

"Angel...Do you think Emily could train me...To be better?" Leo asked.

"Sure. All you need to do is ask...And know what you're getting into." Angel said, smirking.

"Ok, guys. I'm going to need all of you in this last test." Emily said, jogging up. Charles jogged behind her, coughing.

"Now we need to see how you do with penalty kicks. Everyone, near the goal." Emily said, nodding.

Charles smirked. "Emily, can I show you the skill that I was telling you about?"

"Sure. What was it again?" Emily said, thinking.

"The lightning strike. Pass me the ball, please." Charles said his red eye flashing.

Emily kicked the ball, and Charles stopped it with his foot. He then spun the ball around with his for, until it turned into a black and white blur. He then backed up while it spun, and kicked it with all his power.

There was a flash, and the ball bounced to the goal, so fast no one could even see it.

"Whoa...How'd you do that?!" Raphael asked, in awe.

"It's a special skill that runs in the family. It'll make a score every time." Charles said, smirking.

Leo scoffed. "So what if someone kicks it back?"

Charles laughed. "The lightning strike doesn't work like that. Its only weakness is if it gets hit with the equal force as the sender. Too little power and you might break your foot. Too much power... I hope you all are good at dodge ball."

"It's so easy, yet devastatingly effective." Emily said, thinking.

"You're the smart one. How does this move work, anyway?" Angel asked.

"Well, when the ball starts spinning, it starts to generate kinetic energy, in turn creating static electricity, and it then-"

"Emily, explain it so we can understand." Angel said, sighing.

"The ball avoids all players and makes it into the goal. With that being said-" Emily stuck out her hand. "Welcome to the Rhythm Thieves, Charles."

Angel's watch started to ring, and she answered it "Hello? Yes...Ok, we'll be there as soon as we can." She then hung up, sighing.

"It's the doctor. Charlie's awake now. Let's go."

* * *

Charlie's eyes slowly opened. There was a dull thudding in her injured leg and in her head.

"Charlotte, are you ok?" Emily asked, sitting next to her.

"Ow...My head hurts..." Charlie said, turning her head.

"Do you remember anything, Charlie?" Mark asked, joining the group with Martha following.

"No...All I remember is a mask...But no details..." Charlie said, eyes narrowing.

"Well, maybe you'll remember with time." Martha said, quiet.

Charlie frowned, trying to sit up, but was unable to.

"Why can't I get up?" Charlie asked, worry in her eyes.

"When you were attacked, your leg muscle got torn...So you won't be able to play..." Galileo said, nervous.

"What?!" Charlie said, jerking up, and then wincing in pain.

"Charlie, please. Don't hurt yourself anymore." Mark said, holding her steady.

"Charlie...I'm sorry." Leo said, holding his hat out.

Charlie just gave him a cold glare, her eyes flashing red for a second.

"So I've been replaced, then. That's fine by me." Charlie said, turning away.

"Charlie, please-" Leo said, a sad look on his face.

"Go on, then. Why don't you play soccer with _Martha_?" Charlie said, angry.

Leo gave a sad look at Charlie, and then walked out, his head drooping. Emily opened her mouth to protest, but Angel stopped her.

"Emily, our game's about to start. Mark can stay with Charlie, and hopefully she'll cool off. You can chat with them later." Angel said, pointing at the clock.

Emily sighed. "Let's go."

* * *

"Wow, Sean. The Rhythm Thieves were on fire today! At this rate, the semifinals will be a fight to the finish!" Henry said, sipping a cup of coffee.

"No kidding. Who's up next?" Sean said, smiling.

"The Falcons vs. the Devil Knights. Their match will begin in five minutes." Henry said, holding up a folder.

* * *

"Sorry, Charlotte, but I have to go to my match. Do you remember anything else?" Mark said, looking at Charlie.

"No, I don't... But thanks, Mark."

"Before I go...Do you think you can forgive Leo?" Mark asked, sincere.

Charlie hmmphed in response, and then turned around.

"Oh, well. Later, Charlotte." Mark said, walking off.

_I'm still mad at Leo for what he did...Maybe I'm being too tough on him? _Charlie thought, looking out the window.

_I'll talk with him later. First, I need to figure out who attacked me...It's still all a blur..._

* * *

Leo sighed, sitting by himself after the match. The rest of the team, (minus Charles, who said he had business to attend to.)

"Leo, lighten up. Charlie will forgive you with time." Angel said, patting him on the back. Leo simply sighed.

Galileo sighed too, and Angel backed toward Emily. "That sighing thing better not be contagious..." She said.

"Sorry, Angel. It's just that...Why does Leo prefer Charlie over me? Is there something wrong with me?" Galileo asked, his head drooping as well.

"Listen to me. There is _nothing _and I mean _nothing _wrong with you. Leo's just at the age..." Angel said, patting the younger boy's back. She then walked over to Emily, and whispered something to her.

Emily nodded, and then walked over to Leo.

"Leo, come. I need to talk to you." Emily said, beckoning him to follow her.

* * *

"Leo, you need to quit blaming yourself. It doesn't help anyone." Emily said, sitting next to Leo.

"But if I had been with Charlie when she'd been attacked..."

"What if you had been? You could have been hurt too! Then where would we be?" Emily protested.

"It's just that...I don't want to let Vergier down. He made me promise to take care of Charlie...How would he feel if he knew? Worse, Charlie isn't speaking to me..."

"Look. You didn't know that someone was after Charlie. So it wasn't your fault." Emily chided.

"Yes it was. If Martha hadn't kissed me and Charlie hadn't gotten mad."

"Leo...Enough about Charlie." Emily said, flatly.

"But-"

"I _mean _it. When's the last time you've spent time with your brother? "Emily protested.

"Well-" Leo started.

"I know you like Charlie, but you can't just forget about everything else. Your brother looks up to you and you can't just turn a blind eye." Emily said, quiet.

Leo then sighed. "I'm sorry, Emily. You're right."

Emily gave a small smile. "It's not me you need to apologize too. Let's go, then." She said, walking out with Leo.

* * *

"Emily! Did you see the news!?" Angel said, shocked.

"What? What happened?"

"It's Mark. Before his match he was attacked, apparently by the same guy who went after Charlie!" Raphael said.

"His team had to forfeit, too." Marie said, folding her arms.

"They can't be just coincidences. These are connected, and I know it." Angel said, clenching her fists.

"Where is Mark now?" Emily asked.

"The same one that Charlie is at. I'm going to go start the van." Angel said, running out.

* * *

Martha stood next to the hospital bed, worry spread over her face. Mark sat in the bed next to her, bandages on his face and stomach. The rest of the group, (Charles included) Charlie was in the bed next to his, sleeping.

"Hey, guys." Mark said, weak.

"Whoa. What happened to you?" Raphael asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Some guy in a mask came at me with a knife. I got a glimpse of him, but I can't remember his face..." Mark said, coughing.

"Oh well." Charles said, looking away.

"'Oh well?" This isn't just an, 'Oh well.' First Charlie, then Mark? It's too convenient." Angel said, folding her arms.

"Angel's got a point. The devil knights have done this one too many times. We'll settle this tomorrow, on the field." Emily said, folding her arms.

"You'd better get training, then. You too, Martha." Mark said, laughing.

"But, Mark-"

"Martha, _please._" Mark said, pleading. Martha then nodded, and then turned to the Rhythm Thieves.

"Let us go, then." Martha said, and then followed the Rhythm Thieves out.

When Charles was sure that the Rhythm Thieves were gone, he turned to Charlie.

"Charlie, wake up." Mark said.

"What?" Charlie said, waking up.

"I know who our attacker was...And he's going to strike again..." Mark said, serious.

END CHAPTER 10

**Here's a sneak peek of the next chapter!**

"**So you were behind this plot the entire time…" Emily said, drawing her sword.**

"**Not really. J.F's the one who planned it." The shaded figure said, laughing.**

**Read and please review!**


	11. IMPORTANT NOTE

**IMPORTANT:Author's Note**

**Well, I've decided to remove Chapter 11 and revise it, due to some new ideas and one spoiler too many. The new chapter 11 won't be much diffrent, and I should have it up and running A.S.A.P.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Angelucie.**


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